Once Upon a Kiss
by greenmangoes
Summary: A not-quite fairytale take on how Kono met Steve and what happens after
1. Prologue: The enchantment

**Title:** Once Upon a Kiss

**Fandom:** McKono / H50

**Disclaimer :** H50 is the property of CBS etc. & created by Leonard Freeman

**Rating :** T for now but might go up later

**Spoilers :** None (so far)

**Summary :** A (not so) fairy tale-like take on McKono.

**AN:** I had started a darker H50 fic but keep having second thoughts about it and as I was writing that the idea for this one suddenly popped up. It's semi AU I guess, as it takes some liberties about how they first meet. Writing codes take precedence over writing fics these days so apologies in advance for slow updates - but this will only be a couple of chapters long and I will try my very best to finish this as quickly as possible (if muses allow) – and no, I have not abandoned my two other ongoing fics (for different fandoms) just that the muses for those are more flighty.

* * *

_Once upon a time in a (pineapple-infested) land far away, there lived a princess who loved to take magical carpet rides._

Well, not really – more like surfboard rides. But then again, she's not really a princess, nor a damsel in distress. But that's okay because this is not a fairytale.

She doesn't believe in fairytales.

But her story does start with a kiss...

**Prologue: The enchantment**

The first time she sees him, he's in a bar. She is months shy of legal but she manages to get in without being carded. She knows it's foolish to go alone in a bar much less one that is miles away from home but all her friends are in school and it's a week night and she just wants to celebrate her good fortune in landing a major pro surfing contract without people recognizing and telling on her.

By the time she realizes she might be in trouble, she finds she's way too unsteady on her feet and she bumps into someone on her way to the bathroom. She briefly registers his concern for her wellbeing before all the drinks she's consumed make a return trip back up her throat so she is forced to stumble quickly away and proceed to get sick inside a private stall instead of on the hallway. While her upchucking is gross and quite disgusting, it does make her feel a little bit better afterwards. She wishes for mouthwash but it's her fault she's in this mess so she makes do by gargling with water from the bathroom tap (keeping her fingers crossed that it won't make her even more sick).

She is surprised to find the same guy she bumped into earlier still loitering in the hallway and she realizes he's been waiting for her when he immediately asks if she's okay. She just nods because despite her foolishness in actually coming here alone, she at least knows enough not to talk to strangers (no matter how attractive they are), and makes her way to the bar's exit. She is considering calling her cousin to pick her up when he sidles up next to her and offers her a ride.

She is about to refuse when he smiles at her and she finds herself having an OMG moment because his level of attractiveness shoots up to 20 on a scale of 1 to 10. And she tells herself it's because she's still a little bit intoxicated that she accepts his offer and not because his smile just about makes her want to throw herself at him, if you know, she'd been the type to do so – which she's not (more's the pity, the voice in her head tells her). In her (added) defense, she's been around law enforcement types all her life (one might say it's the 'family business') that she can almost smell them a mile away. She thinks he's not exactly law enforcement but he's close enough as his neat appearance, crew cut and bearing screams soldier instead. But she still makes a production of calling her friend Kelly (to tell her she's on her way) in front of him so he knows that someone will be out looking for her just in case her instincts are wrong and he is in fact some psycho on the loose, even if he does offer her his ID, which she ignores because she doesn't want to be tempted to track him down later on.

They don't talk at all after she tells him where to drop her off and she's surprised at how comfortable the silence between them is. She must have drifted off because the next thing she knows they're in front of Kelly's house. She thanks him and is about to get out of the car when she impulsively turns back and gives him a kiss. But what's meant to just be a peck suddenly morphs into something else because the minute their lips touch she feels electricity shoot up her spine and she gasps and it's all the invitation he needs because his tongue is suddenly in her mouth and she is letting him.

He tastes of toothpaste and mint and she has a brief moment of lucidity as she wonders if he can taste that lingering 'after-puke' in her mouth and she thinks maybe she should feel mortified. But then he makes a hum of pleasure and she forgets everything – and not even the thought that they might be giving Kelly's neighbors a show (if you know, they're still awake at this hour) or that she really doesn't know him, is enough to make her stop. And it's only when breathing becomes imperative that they finally break apart.

She stares at him in confusion for a spell and registers an equally flustered look on his face before she finally snaps out of it. He tries to speak but before the words can come she is scrambling to get out of the car because she knows that if he asks she is likely to forget that she's a good girl after all and you know, just drive with him to wherever. It is to his added credit that he doesn't stop her and then she's running to Kelly's front door like a bat out of hell and not looking back for fear of changing her mind because losing one's virginity to some hot stranger is the kind of cliché she doesn't want to be part of. And when Kelly opens the door as soon as she knocks she tells herself she is grateful because then she is not tempted to go back out and at least ask for his name or you know, memorize his plate number so she can do the very thing she had told herself earlier she shouldn't - and that is to track him down later on.

Of course she lives to regret this because she has taken to comparing all other kisses with that fateful one and she finds all of them falling short. She thinks perhaps she's idealized the whole thing in her mind – like he's some prince who's awakened her (or perhaps enchanted her would be more accurate) with a kiss.

But then again, she doesn't really believe in fairytales.

And this is not a fairytale.


	2. Chapter 1: The curse

**AN: **I found myself guiltily typing words instead of codes so I'm back (quicker than I expected) for the second installment. Methinks the positive response (reviews, favorites & alerts) worked like a charm in conjuring my muses again as they are cooperating so thanks to everyone for this. Oh well, hope this one does not disappoint. Unbeta'ed so all mistakes are mine. And yes, I've taken quite a lot of liberties about her relationship with Chin's 'mentor' so apologies to H50 purists out there =)

Standard disclaimers apply of course.

* * *

_Time passed and the princess finally came of age. There was much celebration and merry-making. Alas, the fulfillment of a long-ago curse came to pass when the princess pricked her finger on the loom..._

… Fine! So she didn't really prick her finger – she wouldn't even be caught dead near a loom – but as we've already established, she is not a princess anyway, okay?

…_and she fell into an enchanted sleep that lasted for a hundred years. _

Not!

Seriously, a hundred years is a bit much – it's more like a couple of minutes actually (concussion, anyone?).

But then again, this is not really fairytale is it?

Even if like in the fairytale, she too falls…

* * *

**Chapter 1: The curse**

Off her surfboard that is.

She comes to just as they drag her to shore and she wishes she'd stayed under, because the pain in her knee is excruciating. She is glad the ocean water dripping from her hair disguises the track of tears on her cheeks because she knows even before they tell her that it's bad. She tries to keep a brave face throughout the ambulance ride but when they finally wheel her into surgery she's unable to keep it in and she's glad for the drugs because everything fades out again before she can take another look at her knee. When she comes to the second time, she's in a hospital bed and her leg is in a cast. While the doctor is optimistic about her recovery, she knows in her gut that it's an act. But she pretends like she believes him anyway because her family's varying expressions tell her they're just waiting for her to break down and cry and well, she's always been one to defy expectations.

Her mentor and sponsor, Ian, assures her he'll still be honoring their contract and even foot her medical and rehabilitation expenses. She's grateful and overwhelmed but she's also realistic and tells him bluntly that she might never be able to come back. But she's never been a quitter and her mentor's continued support helps ease her fears. So she goes through months of therapy on the off chance that maybe all of them were right and she can still surf competitively after all. But when her first time back on the tour ends disastrously and with much pain, she finally accepts that it's time to find herself another career.

Although she's quite smart, joining surfing competitions all over (and outside) the country meant her education had been spotty at best so the first thing she does is pass her GED. She's good with tech stuff and considers taking some courses on programming but thinks (modesty aside) that she's also a great cook (even if she's never had much time before to indulge) so maybe culinary school might be another option for her. Still, she takes her time and in the year (and some change) that she's been 'finding' herself her family don't really pressure her (even if their constant hovering is a pain in the backside). It doesn't help that they all act as though the world has ended for her. She is devastated about the end of her surfing career of course, but she's not about to just go curl up and die.

It's only her cousin Chin Ho who refuses to treat her like an invalid – because let's be honest here, she really isn't one – just that her knee can't support her the way she needs it to for long surfing competitions. So she takes to tagging along with him more (when he's off duty) so she doesn't suffocate completely from all that attention. It's while she's hanging out with him that she meets his mentor.

For an old guy he's pretty cool and she can definitely understand why Chin thinks very highly of him. Her father died early (shot during a store robbery he responded to a couple of years back) and since Chin is too young to be a father figure to her, she secretly assigns this role to McG (as she's taken to calling him) even though she takes great pains to avoid meeting his family because role model or not, she's already related to half the island and adding a couple more just might drive her over the brink. Not that there's even a chance of meeting them anyway, since he's packed off both his son and daughter to the mainland when his wife died and they've all been estranged ever since, at least that's what she gleans from Chin anyway. So she continues tagging along when they do target practice and when McG finally allows her to try a gun out for size, she realizes there's actually one more thing she's quite good at.

It is when her big 2-0 looms in the horizon and it's time to decide what to do with the rest of her life already that she finally chooses. And even though she's never considered joining the 'family business', so to speak, both Chin Ho and McG and her newly discovered affinity for guns and shooting targets make her rethink this. Her decision to join the Academy is met by surprise across the board, especially after the family name is tarnished when her beloved cousin is embroiled in a case that she knows he is not guilty of. But she is as stubborn as they come so she goes on ahead and defiantly continues to hang out with Chin even after he's left the force.

She focuses all her attention to being the best while in the Academy, not only because she has to prove herself but also because she's always striven to do well in whatever activity she chooses to spend her time on. She aces tests and trains harder than most and if her knee gives her trouble every now and then she just grins and bears it because she's suddenly fired up again over something that does not involve a board, giant waves and wearing bikinis.

She is in the middle of training when word comes to her of McG's death and she considers coming to his funeral briefly but she's not family (even if in her heart he is part of hers). She chooses to channel her grief in her workouts instead and beats the crap out of every single one of her sparring partners, which, of course, does not help her social life at all.

If her dating life during her rehabilitation had been in need of resuscitation, the fact that she could kick the butt out of most of her Academy classmates on the training mat and off (she can outshoot most of them to boot) just about sends it flatlining. Not that it had been that busy to begin with – turn down an invitation once or twice or…okay maybe most of the time and suddenly she's the ice bitch on tour, so yeah, whatever. Who gives a flying f*ck anyway? After kissing (just kissing, mind you) quite a lot of frogs while traveling in the pro surfing circuit in the hopes the one might turn out to be a prince – not that she'd ever admit this to herself – and finding them all to be… uh just frogs after all… she's not exactly too enthused about defibrillating her dating life again. (What? She loves medical dramas, okay?)

But sometimes, when she's alone in her bed and she lets herself remember, she swears she can still feel her lips tingle from that long ago kiss. And she wishes somehow that she sees**_ him_** again. If only to prove that he is still only just a frog and that kissing him again won't suddenly turn him into a prince.

Not that she really believes frogs can turn into princes anyway, because you know, she doesn't believe in fairytales.

And this is not a fairytale.


	3. Chapter 2: The quest

AN : It's the weekend where I am and I didn't have to feel guilty about writing words instead of codes so here's the third installment. I originally had a different chapter in my outline but found myself writing this instead because it seems to flow better with the previous chapter narrative-wise. Anyway, I hope Steve's not too OoC here (especially the last part). It's a lot longer than I had originally planned for but I didn't know where to cut so here it is.

Feedback is very much appreciated - even if this chapter disappoints (which I hope it does not).

* * *

_The King's passing heralded the return of the grief-stricken Prince to the Kingdom. And despite having been banished to a faraway land in his youth by the King, he vowed to seek justice for his beloved father's death. Aided by the land's Queen of Hearts…_

What? A different fairytale you say? Well what did we just say this is _**not**_?

…_the Prince sought help from the King's trusted foot soldier…_

Okay, maybe the man isn't exactly a foot soldier, but then again, his father is not really a King, nor is he a prince.

After all, this is not a fairytale.

Even if like most fairytales, he too embarks on a quest…

**Chapter 2: The quest**

The heat and humidity greets him as soon as he emerges from the airport. He'd say it's nice to be back but the circumstances surrounding his return aren't exactly ideal. Still, he knows in his heart that he's made the right choice. Leaving the service is not something he had foreseen nor even considered a couple of months ago but his father's death is not something he can forget nor forgive. He'd vowed to himself as they'd lowered his father's body into the ground that he'd get justice for his death. And while the Governor's offer had been something he neither asked for nor expected (nor even seriously considered in the beginning), he is now nevertheless grateful for it because it makes it much easier for him to fulfill his vow.

He meets Danny Williams, with his slicked back hair, leather shoes and tie (who the hell wears leather shoes AND tie in Hawaii?) when he's in his father's garage while conducting his own investigation into his death. And although pointing guns at each other is not what one might call a great way to meet, their standoff nevertheless gives him an indication of the guy's mettle. He figures he can (probably) put up with his Law & Order look, 'stickler-for-rules' vibe and incessant complaining if he proves to be as good in action as he is on paper (something he knows for a fact, after having discreetly obtained his file from the NJPD), which he actually does by saving his life (even if he did have to shoot and kill their only lead in the case). That he had his back and has a mean right hook to boot (the demonstration of which he actually could have done without) seal the deal.

It takes some time convincing the next person on his list to join the team. Part of the former police officer's reluctance stems from a deep concern that the Task Force might be tarred with the same brush – given his not-so-ideal exit from the HPD. The fact that he actually volunteers why he was forced to leave the force speaks volumes of the man's code of honor. This, and the fact that his own father had thought very highly of him are what tells him that Chin Ho Kelly will definitely make a great addition to his team. That his father's former partner probably knew his dad a lot better than him is something he tries not to be resentful of because it's not exactly the guy's fault.

Truth be told, he probably should have made more of an effort to keep in touch with his dad in the intervening years since he'd been sent packing to the mainland upon his mother's death. After all, with the wisdom of age, he'd long ago come to understand what motivated his father's decision but he'd thought he had more time. So he always made excuses not to come back to Hawaii to see him - from being in the middle of SEAL training and after that with covert ops to tours in Afghanistan, to being too busy chasing terrorists like Victor and Anton Hesse for the Naval Intelligence. (He conveniently pushes the memory of the last time he was actually here because it doesn't really count when you only attempt to do something, and not quite succeed.) But then, who'd have thought that it is actually his own run-in with the international-arms-dealing siblings that would finally precipitate this homecoming by inadvertently causing his father's death.

So yes, it's his own damned fault why his relationship with his father is what it is…was…and why it will forever stay that way. And if it isn't so painful, he would dwell on this more but compartmentalizing is what he does best so he does exactly that. He focuses instead on finding Victor so he can blow his fucking head off like that bastard did his father.

Which is why he now finds himself standing on the beach. Because apparently, all the bad guys know all the good guys so they need a fresh face to go undercover for them. Said 'fresh face' turns out to be Chin's cousin – his female cousin - who is currently out surfing. He tries to make out her face from the distance as Chin tells him and Danny about her and despite having doubts about this whole thing, he's willing to at least meet her because if Chin's word had been good enough for his father, it's definitely good enough for him.

When she finally makes it to shore, after having been knocked off her board when some guy homes in on her wave, his doubts about her abilities evaporate when she 'love taps' the guy who causes the fall and he is unable to prevent a smile from breaking out. His smile freezes though when she comes closer and he finally gets a good look at her face.

He knows that face.

It's the same face that has haunted him for the last five years.

_- Flashback -_

_He wonders what the hell he's doing here when he should be knocking on his father's door right now. It had taken him more than ten years to muster the courage to come back and see him and he doesn't really have the luxury of time to spend dilly-dallying because he's about to go out on a mission for the Naval Intelligence. So why exactly is he sitting in this bar, miles away from home, when he should rightly be having it out with his father for sending Mary and him packing? He'd laugh at himself if __the fact that he needs some liquid courage to have that talk isn't so painful. After all, he's a certified badass Navy SEAL and he has the medals and commendations to prove it. _

_He orders a beer because he still needs to drive and he's about to take a sip when he notices her. She's all alone and judging by the number of bottles in front of her, seems to be on her way to inebriation. He feels a bit like a pervert looking at her because she seems so young to him but apparently, she's old enough because they let her in (his conscience feels a little better at this thought – though not by much because let's face it – people do carry fake IDs). He considers approaching her (just so, you know, he can watch out for unsavory characters who might possibly harass her) but changes his mind when he sees how capably she handles one particular asshole who's trying to be a little too friendly._

_He is on his feet though the minute she gets up and he sees her walking a little too wobbly for his liking towards the restroom area. It's a testament to how much she's probably had to drink when she bumps into him, being more focused on staying on her feet rather than actually looking at where she's going. She looks like she's about to apologize but then she suddenly bolts into the restroom – to be sick (he assumes). He blames his military training for his concern but knows deep down that it's more than good manners that make him stay and wait for her. When she finally comes back out he notes the dampness of the hair along her forehead, indicating that she had probably splashed water on her face to sober up. He asks if she's alright and he wonders at the keenness of his disappointment when she just nods and doesn't say anything._

_Still, he follows her out (to make sure she's really okay) and when it seems as though she has no ride back home, he offers. He braces himself for rejection, just 'cause she looks like she's the type who doesn't talk, much less ride off, with complete strangers – even if he knows he only has good intentions. Still, he smiles in an effort to put her at ease and he notes the slight widening of her eyes at this before she surprises the both of them by accepting his offer. _

_He regrets being such a good guy when her voice just about makes him want to chuck that blasted military code of honor out where the sun don't shine and you know, just cart her off somewhere and have his way with her. But he's not that guy. He has never ever been that guy. So he leaves her alone and lets her rest in silence as he drives her to her friend's house. He smiles in memory at the look on her face when she pointedly made a call to said friend, more to warn him off any unsavory thoughts he might have than having the good manners to not show up at someone's house unexpectedly. He is surprised at how at ease he is having such a total stranger occupy such an enclosed space with him given that it always takes him a long time to get comfortable with someone he'd just met. _

_By the time they're finally in front of her friend's house, he is almost reluctant to let her go without at least asking for her name, but her earlier refusal to even look at his ID tells him that she feels better not knowing. And in a way, he agrees. His lifestyle isn't exactly conducive to maintaining relationships, heck he couldn't even maintain one with either his father or sister, so what business does he have starting a new one – especially with someone who's so much younger and has her whole life ahead of her. And yeah, he is starting to scare himself at the way his thought is progressing because was he seriously considering breaking his long-term vow not to fuck someone else up with his crazy? And with someone he'd never even exchanged more than a couple of words with?_

_His inner freak out is interrupted when she suddenly leans into him and gives him a peck. Or what he thinks was intended to be a peck, because damned if he doesn't fucking lose his head when her lips touches his because he legit feels electricity shoot up his spine at the contact. He thinks perhaps she feels it too because she gasps and it's all the invitation he needs to invade her mouth with his tongue and it feels so unbelievably good that he fucking forgets that he's not supposed to do this at all. And it's the first time that he actually feels lost enough in a kiss that he doesn't even care that they're in someone else's driveway or that she might not even be legal and he should know better. And the only reason he actually lets go of her is because they both need to breathe. _

_That she looks as poleaxed as he feels is gratifying but just when he decides that yes, he's actually going to break his fucking vow, she is scrambling to get out of the car as though the hounds of hell were after her. And he can't exactly blame her because inside he's running scared too. Because if she can actually make him feel like that with just a kiss, he can't even begin to think about what else she can make him give up. His career is his life. He's never wanted to do anything else but be a soldier and nothing and no one has ever made him feel even remotely like giving that up. _

_So he uses all of his much vaunted self-control to allow her to run to the door without going after her. He tells himself he's glad that she had the wisdom not to ask for his name or look at his ID so there's no way that she'll be able to trace him once he leaves. And he convinces himself that it's only the fact that he's been celibate for months that he's even considering getting out of his car and knocking on that damned door. And he assures himself as he drives away that he's actually making a lucky escape. And if he flies out that same night without stopping by to see his father at all, he swears it's only because he needs to report back to base immediately and not because staying means he'll only be a fifteen-minute drive away from her. _

_Of course, he lives to regret this because when he finally meets a great girl who's as dedicated to her career as he is and who doesn't even demand that he give up being a soldier for her, the best he can offer is a casual relationship. How can it be more when it's not even the memory of their kisses that sustains him when he's in some fucked up hellhole, but that long-ago one from a stranger. Or how sometimes…sometimes when he's between sleep and wakefulness and he turns his head to look at her, it's another girl(woman)'s face that he sees. _

And it's that face he now sees in front of him.

Kono's.

Chin's cousin, Kono, who is every bit as beautiful as he remembers.

He often wonders if maybe he's blown that memory out of proportion in his mind. That maybe he's built up this fantasy around her that nothing in reality can ever compare with, like some princess in a fairytale out to ensnare her prince with a kiss.

But because he doesn't believe in fairytales, he never really thought he'd ever see her again either.

Yet, here she is.

So even if she's not really a princess. And he's definitely no prince.

Maybe, just maybe...

This _**is**_ a fairytale.


	4. Chapter 3: The proposal

**AN:** I know I said updates will be slow but I've always been an inspiration-driven writer (which is why I don't really have outlines for stories and that I am also (in most cases) as surprised as my readers about how things turn out) so the fact I've been churning out chapters pretty quicky seems to suggest that I am inspired. LOL. This is actually the first fanfic I have that has an outline (although, true to form, I am starting to stray away from it) so maybe that helps as well. Anyway, thanks of all those wonderful reviews (and favorites & alerts), they really make me very happy (though I guess not so good for my coding LOL) and inspired _***hugs to all of you* **_I'm also glad that you like the little bit of fairytale intros I have and that it flows well with the story (because for some reason, these snippets come to me just when I'm all sleepy and about to go to bed, go figure). Unbeta'ed so all mistakes are mine.

Next up is titled 'the wicked fairy' (I think) based on the fairytale snippet that came to me last night =)

Do let me know what you think.

* * *

_The Prince stood gazing at her beauty and he felt in his heart an emotion that he had long sought for but never found. So overcome was he that he leant close and gently kissed her._

Are you kidding? Kiss a woman (especially one who has just decked some other guy), no matter how 'gentle', without her permission, in broad daylight, with her cousin and the rest of the world looking on is just plain asking for some ass kicking!

Fine!

_As she rose up from the waters like a warrior goddess, the Prince stepped valiantly forward to take her hand in his._

Okay. But he's still not a prince.

Yeah, yeah, we all know the drill.

And this is not a fairytale.

Even if like most fairytales, he does propose…

**Chapter 3: The proposal**

His smile is back by the time she finishes catching up with Chin. And even though the import of Chin's words earlier sinks in and he realizes that fuck, she really had been underage back then, he doesn't really care, because finally, after five long years, finally he has a name to go with the face. So he compliments her on her right cross because yeah, this time around she **_is_** legal, and he's eagerly anticipating her reaction at seeing him.

"Nah man, that was a love tap."

Her voice comes out sexy but the casualness of her response confuses him, especially when she immediately turns to shake Danny's hand. And he'd take a moment to rant about the fact that the fucker is taking a little bit too long in holding her hand if he isn't too busy wondering what the hell just happened.

In all the many and varied fantasies he's had about seeing her again, this scenario is definitely not one of them. Because in none of them does she ever NOT remember him. And he's trying to convince himself that it's only his ego that got stomped in the process and not anything else because, yes, maybe they really hadn't gotten around to exchanging names the first time around but surely, sharing spit (as crude as that sounds) constitutes 'meeting' doesn't it? Surely that kiss merited at least a small corner of her fucking memory?

"So your cousin tells me you're graduating from the Police Academy next week?" he finally asks so she can take another look at him. And then he smiles as he adds, "How would you like to earn extra credit before you do?" while putting just enough of a flirting inflection in it to perhaps jog her memory. But apparently, he's just as forgettable as that unlucky schmuck she'd just 'love tapped' when she just says she's listening and there's still no hint of recollection in her eyes.

Not even a flicker.

And he tells himself that he's not hurt at all. Because you know he's a guy. And guys, especially badass Navy SEALs, aren't supposed to feel like shit when some girl treats them like…hmm, what's the term? Oh yes, shit! And okay, he's maybe over reacting here but seriously, nothing? Seriously?

He knows that with all this unresolved shit he has going internally, forging ahead with the undercover plan is just plain asking for trouble (mostly for him) but the proposal is out so it's too late to change his mind without looking like a fucking idiot, even if he's kicking himself mentally, because what the hell? He's doomed! He promises himself that the first chance he has to get her alone he's going to just outright ask, just you know, purely out of curiosity, if she _**really**_ doesn't remember him or if she's just putting on a show because big cousin Chin is looking on.

But the chance never comes because things move too fast and before he knows it he's already staring at the surveillance video of Kono going undercover. He tells himself that the agitation he feels has everything to do with the case and nothing at all to do with her. He barely even registers Danny asking to pull the plug when San Ming notices the sand in her hair because he's too busy thinking about what she's probably feeling having that asshole's hand on her. But when she's forced to strip and Sang Min takes a picture, he fucking nearly loses it. He knows it's irrational because really, she's only showing as much skin as she normally would if she was surfing.

He nearly takes Danny's head off when he takes too long tracing the call that Sang Min makes and when the phone rings, he knows she's been made. And then he's crashing into the warehouse with his heart in his throat while mentally calling himself all kinds of fool for ever agreeing to this whole thing in the first place. Of course when he gets out of the truck she's all cocky and tells him he's early and he knows he should probably be pissed at this but concern for her overrides his irritation and he can only ask if she's okay. Then all hell breaks loose and so he channels all his frustration over this whole mess at taking down the fucktard who nearly blows her head off, even if he has to stand in front of said fucktard's moving car.

The next thing he knows he's chasing another lead and all things Kono are relegated (temporarily) to the back of his mind.

But when the case is settled and they're all facing each other, he realizes he's still waiting for some indication that she remembers. And when it's clear that she really doesn't, he's forced to laugh and act as though he hasn't been obsessing about it all. And ain't that just a kick in the head? He knows it's pathetic but it seems there's nothing he can do but just grin and bear it.

Because even if she's the princess in his dreams, it's clear that he isn't her prince.

And yeah, this _**is not**_ a fairytale.


	5. Chapter 4: The quandary

**AN:**Again, thank you for the feedback (and alerts & favorites) - they really do keep me inspired. I know I said the next one will be about the wicked fairy but it seems that one doesn't want to be written just yet. I had originally planned to write this later but the general consensus seemed to be that Kono needed to heard from again first so here goes. Hope it passes muster.

Standard disclaimers apply and yes, this is unbeta'ed so all mistakes are mine. (Okay, back to my codes now).

_At last, the Princess has found the Prince who'd cast her enchantment. Alas, breaking the spell wasn't so easy after all as the Fates it seemed have deemed it fit to play a cruel trick on her. For to ask for a kiss to break the spell meant she would have to forfeit his extraordinary offer - one that would allow her to escape from a life of drudgery serving the very people who had cast her family out. What was a princess to do?_

Okay, so maybe the spell works both ways. And maybe choosing one did not necessarily mean foregoing the other.

But then again, she's not really a princess.

And this is not a fairytale.

Even if like in fairytales, she does make a choice…

**Chapter 4: The quandary (aka the cruel trick of Fate)**

She doesn't notice him until she's done exchanging pleasantries with Chin. By the time she sees him, her cousin is already telling her his name and it's too late to flee so she shakes his hand hoping her panic doesn't show. She curses the fact that he's wearing sunglasses because she can't see whether he recognizes her or not. But the easy way he teases her about her right hook seems to suggest he doesn't, so she responds accordingly and turns quickly towards the other guy, hoping to hide her dismay. She's grateful this one takes time to linger on the handshake because it gives her a chance to settle her nerves before facing **him** again.

"So your cousin tells me you're graduating from the Police Academy next week?" The question forces her attention back to him but she blanks out a little because his last name finally registers in her mind and she realizes he's McG's prodigal son. And the pain of the old man's passing hits her again so when he asks whether she'd like to earn extra credit, her response is more subdued despite her interest in his proposition.

She'd curse the Fates for putting her in this position but when they bring her up to speed on the case, she knows his offer is just too good to pass up. Although she's made peace with the possibility or maybe probability that she would most likely spend her (soon to start) career issuing parking tickets and helping cats off trees or old ladies cross the street, by virtue of her association with Chin, it doesn't mean she's not looking to get out of it. And what he's offering is exactly that. A one-way ticket out of that not-so-bright future if she can prove herself. That she'd be working with her beloved cousin is just icing on the cake.

So what if she has to pretend amnesia in the process? And boy, was she in for some major pretending here because holy hell, her memory didn't do him justice at all! That's just a small price to pay isn't it? Besides, it's not like **he** remembers her anyway – the asshole! So she wasn't exactly looking her best when they last saw each other and okay, maybe she could have done with a mouthwash then too but if memory serves, and her memory is serving her really well right now, he was every bit as involved in that kiss as she was! And…damn! Now she has to take a moment to calm herself as the memory of his hum of pleasure washes over her.

It's with relief that she notes how he seems to have lost his good humor during their walk back from the beach because then she's not so tempted to, you know, plant another one on him just to see if it's as good as she remembers. Because stealing a kiss from your (potential) boss? Not cool at all. In fact, she'd probably combust so yeah…she takes care not to be alone with him afterwards because she's not quite sure she'll be able to pull her act off.

By the time the undercover op is set in motion she has somewhat come to grips with the fact that she may actually end up working for _**the guy**_ she's played tonsil hockey with that long ago night. And if she isn't still mad at Malia for ripping Chin's heart out with her abandonment during the scandal, she'd be on the phone with her because she's the only person, aside from Kelly, who actually knows about the whole thing.

She's as nervous as hell and is grateful that the three of them can't really see her expression as she faces Sang Min, especially when he notices the sand in her hair. But when he makes her strip, a strange sort of calm envelops her and she doesn't even flinch (mentally that is) when he takes her picture even though she acts otherwise because she has to sell her act after all. Things come to a head when they realize she's a cop but she's ready and she has already knocked out two guys by the time **he** comes crashing through the warehouse. And yeah, she should probably stop referring to **him** in bold letters in her head cause you know, she's not 12. So she acts all cocky and tells him he's late but it's probably a good thing that Danny and Chin come in when they do because his expression and the way he asks if she's okay nearly melts her into a pile of goo. And she's almost relieved when things go to hell in a hand basket and she finds herself running for cover because San Ming is shooting every which way. And if she's not too busy rounding up the bad guys she'd take a moment to appreciate how utterly hot he looks chasing that dude.

When they're finally done with the case and they're all relaxing in the office (hell yeah, this would be her office too), she tries to avoid looking at him (too much) so she doesn't give in to the urge to kiss his boo boo away. But then she catches him stealing a look at her and she swears her heart literally stops beating because he looks as though he remembers her too. And she tells herself she's grateful that Chin's timely suggestion that they name the team 'A'ohe, hana, nui ka alu'ia' makes everyone laugh because she nearly forgets her resolve to keep her distance and almost reaches out for him. And she knows she has to - keep her distance and pretend he didn't just rock her world that long ago night, that is.

And it's a really (really) good thing that she doesn't believe in faitytales.

Because even if this particular frog may just actually turn out to be a prince, he's one she definitely has **no** business kissing.

And this isn't a fairytale.


	6. Chapter 5: The evil stepmother

**AN: **Sorry no wicked fairy just yet - I had been planning to skip through most of season 1 to move the tale along but this episode seemed like a good fit for a fairytale trope so I couldn't resist. Hopefully, I've succeeded.

Again, I want to thank everyone who's been kind enough (and taken the time) to leave reviews ***virtual hugs to everyone* ** cause I really appreciate them. And I also just wanted to say how happy I am to see that some of my favorite authors have managed not only to find time to read my work but leave feedback as well - you guys rock!

Unbeta'ed so all mistakes are mine.

* * *

_The Princess smiled in anticipation as she hung the gown she was to wear for the Ball. There were times when she'd thought she wouldn't make it at all but her hard work had finally paid off. So she eagerly went to do her tasks for the day - for she was only allowed to attend if she finished them all. She was quite disconcerted however when she realized that her evil stepsisters had left her a mountain of chores to do._

No? But there really is a ball... oh, it's the 'evil stepsisters' bit huh? Fine!

_She was quite disconcerted however when she realized that the 'good' dwarves had left her a mountain of chores to do._

What?

Well, isn't one of them Grumpy and shor…

Pfft!

This isn't a fairytale anyway.

Even though like the fairytale, there really is an evil stepmother…

**Chapter 4: The evil stepmother**

Sometimes she really wants to hit Chin. His continued refusal to go to her Police Academy Graduation Dinner is really pissing her off. There are only two people she's ever wanted in there with her anyway and of the two, he's the only one who doesn't have a really good excuse not to show up, since the other one is you know, dead! Whatever! She supposes she'll just have to convince him. After she's relieved of her babysitting duties, that is. Lucky for them she had a ball to go to later or she'd take issue over the fact that she's been automatically relegated to the 'girl' duty of babysitting their witness, a young boy whose father, an ex-NSA agent and cyber terrorism expert, had been kidnapped. And while she's not one to shirk away from all the action, she can't very well show up at the Ball all battered and bruised can she? Bad enough she wouldn't have a date.

Of course, she spoke too soon because who'd have thought that babysitting could be dangerous to her health. Cause the boy's soon-to-be stepmom, Natalie? Turns out she's actually a Nadia _**and**_ as a member of the Serbian mafia, had been in on the kidnapping all along. Of course she doesn't find out that wannabe step-mommie dearest is actually in league with the bad guys until the bitch is wielding a fucking kitchen knife in her face. And then they're crashing all around the kitchen and their smackdown spills out onto the pool area and finally into the water. And it takes all of her strength to subdue the _ilio wahine_. Unfortunately, the bitch's partner-in-crime shows up and takes her and the boy hostage.

Now although in the deepest recesses of her long-suppressed romantic heart she's always wanted a _ring_ from the 'prince of her dreams,' the kind she does get from him isn't exactly what she had in mind. Since you know, it's to her cellphone, but whatever, she'll take what she can get because driving with a gun pointed to your head is no time to be nitpicking, yes? Besides, it does give her a chance to drop some clues to their destination during the call but then they throw the phone away and make _**her**_ turn around and drive the opposite way.

So now they're in the warehouse where they've taken the kidnapped father and she's trying to comfort the boy while she thinks of a way out of there. She provokes the leader, who (true to form) hits her and she falls off the chair – which is what she wants to happen because it gives her a chance to pick up a nail which she uses to start cutting the tape around her bound wrists.

She's not exactly sure how the team finds out where they're held but she's grateful as all heck when she sees **his **face through the glass on the door just as she's nearly done cutting all the tape away from her wrists. And then he's suddenly on the balcony and signaling to her how things are set to go down. She takes a moment to tell father and son to get ready to move on her signal before he's shooting someone and the first thing she does is to take the bitch down. And then the tanks are on fire and they're running for their lives and even though they all get thrown hard to the ground and she sees stars for a spell, everything works out.

Unfortunately for her, she does end up getting battered and bruised. She thinks she doesn't really mind so much (not even after seeing how bad she looks in the mirror) but when she turns and sees the uniform she's supposed to wear tonight she can't help but feel sad about missing her graduation.

She is pleasantly surprised however when she comes out of the bathroom to see all three of them waiting for her in their dress uniforms and she takes a moment to admire _**his**_ form in his Navy Blues. _**He's**_ the first one to approach her and she stifles a gasp when she opens the box and sees his gift. A Kel-Tec 9mm pistol (the very same model McG used to have her practice on way back when she was just a girl tagging along and looking for her own place under the sun). And as she lovingly runs her fingers over the gun she swears she can almost hear the old man whisper, _"And you thought I would miss your graduation" _in her ear and so she tries not to choke as she thanks him. But when he gives her a promise to always protect her, she has to quickly look away towards the two other men in the room lest he realize how much his words (and _gift) _have truly affected her.

She smiles at Danny when he gives her a Saint Michael's pendant on a chain (as an added protection) and steals a look at _**him**_ as the blonde detective jokes about the whole thing. And then she's reading the inscription on Chin's gift _"To my cousin, who always brings light to the darkness"_ and she has to bite her lip as emotions overcome her. And when her cousin pins her badge on her shirt and tells her he wouldn't have missed her graduation for anything, she wonders if they'll think less of her if she cries. But then Chin is administering her oath so she manages to keep it all in.

So yeah, while she doesn't really believe in fairytales…

…and she did miss the Ball...

...and got attacked by a stepmother (to-be) from hell..

...she thinks, as she admires her new gun (which is way cooler than a glass slipper anyway), that maybe...just maybe...

This _**is**_ a fairytale after all.


	7. Chapter 6: The little red riding hood

**AN: **So I'm trying to fast-track this story along but the episodes keep tripping me up *sigh* I'll try to pick up the pacing (I really should follow my outline) but here's the next installment for now – I hope it's not as lame as I think it is and that Steve is not too OoC - at any rate, please bear with me. Do let me know what you think. Unbeta'ed so all mistakes are mine.

Again, I'd like to thank you all for taking the time to read this, leave feedback, add it to your alerts and/or favorites lists. *hugs to all of you*

* * *

_Bearing food and wearing her little red riding hood, the Princess happily skipped to the woods to visit her ailing grandmother. Unbeknownst to her, the Big Bad Wolf was lurking in the woods and plotting to beat her to her grandmother's house so he could devour her._

Can someone really 'skip happily' in three-inch heels? And as for the little red riding hood? It's little alright...and red...but a riding hood? Not so much. More like a robe really. Oh it's a dress? Seriously?

Whatever!

Also, there really isn't supposed to be a Princess in the fairytale too.

Then again, this isn't exactly a fairytale, is it?

Even if like the fairytale, she does get devoured…

**Chapter 6: The (little) red riding hood**

…but not by a wolf (although this is debatable really) but by his brand-new partner! The fucker! And okay, it's for a case but still…

So yeah, it all starts at a high school football game.

He makes sure to sit next to Chin instead of her so he's not so tempted to look at her (too much) because she's wearing those criminally short denim shorts and red tank top that does wonders for her mile-high legs and gives him a glimpse of her trim waistline. As her boss, he knows he needs to keep his professional distance and he's pretty sure lusting after her falls pretty much under things not to do with a subordinate. He thinks he's succeeding in his mission to avoid looking at her (too much) but then she stands up and starts shouting at the referee and he can only stare at her in awe, which he quickly masks. He makes a joke to Chin however, about being glad she's on their team just in case the older man did notice and he can think that his look of wonder is about how passionate she is about the game (and not because he's wondering whether she displays as much passion as she does over an activity that is completely inappropriate to be thinking about while watching a high school football game). He is saved from his wayward thoughts by the arrival of Danny and his daughter Gracie.

Of course trouble ensues, as it seems to always do around them, and it's mayhem at the football field when a guy pulls a gun out and shoots before Danny can stop him (which he eventually does). They find out that the shooter is a Triad enforcer and his victim is a Samoan gang leader, which makes them think they're in the middle of a gang war. One of their persons of interest, a guy named Sid, turns out to be a relative of Kono's and Chin's, who surprise, surprise, is actually an undercover cop for the HPD gang department assigned to infiltrate the Samoans. A part of him is pissed that Chin has to suffer the indignity of his cousin refusing to treat him with respect as a fellow officer for being 'dirty,' and would have insisted otherwise if the older man didn't voluntarily leave the interrogation room himself. Still, Sid does give them their new lead – a pizza joint owner who does gun-running for the Samoans.

He thinks he would have gotten more of a violent reaction from his partner over his chosen method of persuasion if he's not so distracted with the custody issue with his ex. So he vows to help the guy out because a quiet and subdued Danny is just plain weird. When the pizza guy eventually talks (was there any doubt?) they find out that the Samoans are working with Frank Salvo, the head of a crime family in New Jersey, against the Triad so he can get in on the gambling operation on the island. It is Kono who works out a deal with Sid to help get them into a rolling casino where Salvo is to meet with the new head of the Samoan gang. Of course, while him and Danny get to wear suits as guests, she ends up wearing a ridiculously short kimono dress (which really looks more like a robe to him, but then what does he know?) as one the serving girls. Now normally, he has no problem keeping his eye on the ball, but Kono in that poor excuse for a dress is way too distracting and so he needs to muster all his training to concentrate on the job at hand and you know, not drool as she makes eye contact with him before she goes off to follow Salvo and the new Samoan gang leader into a room.

He knows she can take care of herself, he's seen that with his own eyes twice now from previous cases, but this is the first time they don't have a visual on her when she's with suspects so he's a little tense even as he pretends to be focused on the card game in front of him. He doesn't breathe easily until he sees her safely emerge from that room again and she's successfully planted the bug on Salvo. Of course they get made and they realize that Sid is in trouble for letting in people who aren't on the list. They need a diversion so they can get close enough to the group by the pool and what do you know, Danny volunteers not only himself but her as well. There's no time to think of another plan or even make a fuss and unless he wants to do it himself (which, truth be told, he so badly wants to but knowing how their last kiss has affected him, he knows he can't) he really has no choice but to go along with it. So he's stuck lurking behind some overgrown plants like some Big Bad Wolf in a really bad fairytale while his partner gets to be the prince and 'pretend make out' with her. The bastard!

Of course Danny takes pretending a little too seriously because even from across the pool _**he can very well see**_ (since like a wolf, he too has a keen eyesight even in the dark) how his partner (soon-to-be-dead at the rate he's going at it), is devouring her lips like it's some candy he can't get enough of and has his hands all over her – and it takes all he has not to go for the fucker instead of Salvo and his goons. Fortunately for Danny he is a professional and so he shouts out to distract the bad guys instead and then the gun fight ensues. It is Chin though who eventually takes out Salvo just as he is about to shoot Sid.

When the case is all closed and he's had time to scrub the memory of that make out session from his mind (not really), he makes nice with his partner and does him a solid by talking to the Governor about the guy's custody issue with his ex-wife. When they get back to HQ, they see her and Chin watching an old footage of him playing for the Kukui High School football team at the state championship. He is surprised when Chin tells him how _**his**_ old man cheered for him during that game (and apparently, all the other games he's ever played). He sees her expression change at the mention of his father but it passes so quickly he thinks maybe he's only imagined it. He considers questioning her but Danny asks about the number on his uniform so he has to explain that it's not fifty but 5-0 as in the 50th state and how, being non-native Hawaiians, it was his dad's way of making the family feel like they belong.

It figures of course that _**she**_'s the one who really gets it and suggests it as the official name of their Team. And it's fortunate that Chin and Danny both like it as well because her smile alone seals the deal for him.

So what if she doesn't remember him still?

Or that he's not the prince of her dreams?

She understands.

She's his!

Okay, his teammate for now, but hey there's no rush.

They've got time.

This isn't a fairytale after all.

…

…

…

_**At least…not yet.**_


	8. Chapter 7: The other princess & the pea

**AN1: **As promised, here's the update before (my) weekend. Unbeta'ed so all mistakes are mine. Have skipped S01E04 because there really wasn't much of a McKono moment there and I figured I really should move the pace along. Future chapters will I think not focus on episodes individually unless they're heavy on the interaction between these two.

* * *

_The Prince, unaware of the enchantment, thought only that mayhap, the Princess was truly not for him. He grew lonely and bereft and so he sought to find another for his kingdom. One day, another princess came to visit. Thinking to test if she was indeed a princess, he placed a pea under a pile of twenty mattresses where she was to sleep that night (for it is common knowledge that only princesses could have such delicate skin as to be able to feel a pea under twenty mattresses) and asked her how she slept come morning_.

Feeling a pea under twenty mattresses? _**That's**_ the true test of princess-hood? Seriously? Heck, even without the pea, who could sleep well on top of twenty mattresses? Like, it's probably not the pea but the literal 'fear of falling' from that monstrosity that would cause anyone to have insomnia. And what kind of a prince gives up just like that anyway?

Okay fine, so he's not really a prince.

And this is not a fairytale.

Even if like the fairytale, the (other) princess does get a _**p**_ on her bed…

**Chapter 7: The (other) princess and the pea**

…that is, a 'p' not a pea…as in p for phone.

His, it turns out…the vibration of which interrupts their early morning activity. The call is from Governor Jameson and the Team it seems, has a new case. He wishes he feels more regret at having his planned day off with Catherine turn into a working one, but he'd be lying to himself. And he feels like a sorry sack of shit when he turns to her and sees the disappointment in her eyes. He promises to make it up to her instead.

When he meets Danny, they find out that they are to investigate the murder of Amanda Reeves and the kidnapping of her sister, Robin. They are the daughters of the US Ambassador to the Philippines, who also happen to be close friends with the Governor, which is why H50 took jurisdiction. It is as complicated as they come as they have to look into the possibility that the kidnapping may be politically motivated as well. When they find out that Amanda had roofies in her system, their investigation leads them to a kidnapping-for-forced prostitution ring. Of course, this means that Kono has to go undercover once again so she can see if Robin is one of their victims. She looks hot of course (doesn't she always) and he has to mentally slap himself because yeah, he's pretty sure lusting after one woman while 'dating' another one pretty much wins him the award of douchebag of the year (if there is one). He sighs and asks himself when his life had become a soap opera. Still, he does have the presence of mind to make sure that the police have Kono's description and that they all know that she's one of them before they go ahead with the raid. When shooting starts, the first thing he thinks about is Kono's safety and he quickly moves room to room looking for her. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that like always, she has the situation under control - and yes, he has another inappropriate thought because there really is something about seeing a hot girl with a gun that gets to him.

When they finally get to talk to the Madam overseeing the operation, they get stonewalled but before he can fully vent his frustration, _**she**_ takes charge and asks him and Chin to leave the room. When they emerge, the Madam is all cooperative and he has to fight the smile that threatens to break through at this because he does have a reputation to maintain and it can't do to be seen looking like some besotted fool at the amazing woman before him. So he schools his features to feign exasperation but inside he's damned proud of her quick thinking and yeah, maybe his scowl is a little bit directed at the dog she's holding too because…damned if that pooch isn't one lucky son of a b*tch! Long story short, they crack the case, find the girl and picked themselves up some terrorists and an overzealous kidnapping & ransom specialist for booking.

_But_ not before he has to call Catherine and ask for another favor and uh...promise her dinner. And he knows it's fucked up what he's doing to her but it's not like she's all googly eyed for him anyway – leastways, he thinks…uhm…he's pretty sure she's not because she's way too involved with her career and she hasn't indicated that she wants more from him than their occasional hookup anyway. And if he feels a little (a lot) guilty he tamps it down because he's only human (despite Danny's frequent assertions that he's a robot) and well he has needs too and one night stands are just too tacky, not to mention scary these days. Besides, picking up women in bars (except for that night long ago, which technically, isn't even really a pick up) has never been his thing so yeah…

And if he sounds like he's making excuses for his behavior, it's only because he probably is.

He still ends up on the beach with Catherine anyway because his word is his bond and he did owe her dinner after all. They toast to the fact that they finally did get around to having dinner and he asks her how she likes her steak. And that look in her eyes as she answers "_Bloody_" makes him smile and say "_My kind of girl_." Because truthfully, she really is his kind of girl and if only he hadn't kissed _**her **_that long ago night, he probably would be thinking about taking _**this**_ 'relationship' further. Woulda, coulda, shoulda…isn't that always the case? And because that pesky little thing called guilt is rearing its ugly head again, he kisses her because she's there and she's looking at him teasingly and he thinks maybe, just maybe, she can be the princess of his dreams after all.

But then when he rolls on top of her he sees a movement in his peripheral vision and he freezes because for a second he thinks, that's _**her**_. But then again, why would _**she**_ be here?

"Is something wrong?" Catherine asks when he stops kissing her.

"No…just wanted to check on the steaks…" he smiles in reassurance as he slowly moves off her. "No, don't get up – this won't take long…" he promises as he casually takes a sweeping look around on the pretext of checking the steaks.

He thinks he really must have imagined her, but then he turns towards the house and yep…there _**she**_ is. Her back is turned and she looks to be hurrying back towards the house and he's thinking to himself "Don't," because Catherine is here and she's supposed to be the one he's focusing on.

And _**she's **_off limits...

And _**she**_ doesn't even remember him...

And _**she's**_ probably not here for what he hopes _**she's**_ here for...

And a whole other bunch of things that make going after _**her**_ a really stupid and bad idea...

But before he could stop himself, he's on his feet and running after _**her**_…

Because even if the one he's just left behind is the real princess…

The truth is…

He'll choose _**her**_ anyday…

Even if _**she's**_ not a princess…

…and this is _**not**_ a fairytale.

* * *

_**AN2: **_So yeah, the last part is pretty much AU … which will be continued in the next chapter (and most likely will explore the reason for Kono's presence there - probably, maybe...LOL - depends on what my fingers end up typing). Apologies if Steve comes out a little bit crass here, but there's no other way to work in this episode into my overall arc without his internal monologue because this is a McKono fairytale afterall even if these two keep saying otherwise. And yeah, to my shipper mind, he's always been into Kono – sorry Catherine, I like you but I like Kono for Steve much better =)

As usual, thanks for reading (and reviewing) and I'll try to answer them individually as soon as RL permits. _***hugs to all* **_


	9. Chapter 8: The mermaid's tail

**Disclaimer : **Any character you recognize I do not own.

**AN1: **Okay as promised in my Aftermath AN, here's another update. Again, thanks for reading and leaving feedback and all the favorites and alerts. *hugs to all of you*

* * *

_Heart broken, the little mermaid could only look on as the Prince, unable to remember who had saved him from drowning that long ago night, kissed another. In her eagerness to have the chance to make the Prince fall in love with her, she had not properly considered the enormity of the price she had paid that she might walk on land. She had given up everything – her family, her voice and the sea - for legs that now would serve her no purpose._

Give up everything for a guy? Heck no! Not even for a prince…which as he is sooo not! The ungrateful ass! Okay fine, so she didn't really save him…still…

Then again, this isn't really a fairytale is it?

Even if like the fairytale, he did kiss another…

**Chapter 8: The mermaid's tail **

She is mentally rehearsing what she's going to say when she realizes that he's not alone and she freezes where she stands. "Fuck!" she thinks to herself. This is what she gets for acting impulsively. Hoping he hasn't seen her, she quickly turns around and hurries back towards the house. Why didn't his sister tell her he was with his girlfriend? And why the heck does the idea that he has a girlfriend make her feel like throwing up? She mentally berates herself for her stupidity because really, what was she thinking? Even if he did suddenly remember that night, he's her boss! And she has no business coming here and…

"Kono?" His voice cuts into her internal monologue.

She nearly groans aloud as she frantically tries to think of a good excuse for being here. But there's no time to come up with something because all of a sudden his hand is on her arm and he's turning her around to face him. So she smiles innocently and greets him cheerfully with a "Hi Boss…"

She sees him wince before he asks, "What brings you here?"

She curses mentally because her mind's coming up with a blank. "I…" Fuck!

Thankfully, his sister saves her the trouble, by answering for her from behind. "Oh, she came to see me."

"You came to see her?" His eyebrow shoots up in surprise at this. Yeah, him and her both.

She wonders briefly about the seeming disappointment in his voice before she nods because…well because she very well can't say that she came because she wanted to ask if he remembered kissing her that night long ago – although technically it was her who kissed him really, but then again, he did kiss her back and if memory serves, there was even some tongue and…

"Why?" His sharp question stops her inner rambling.

She thinks she might be pissed at the tone of disbelief in his voice but she's too busy trying to think of a possible reason.

Again, Mary Ann rescues her. "I asked her to teach me how to surf."

"At this hour?" Doubt was evident in his voice.

He can't exactly blame him because, yeah...who surfs at this hour. But Mary Ann asks "Why the third degree?" with the right amount of exasperation to be believable.

He looks to be struggling with something to say before he finally nods. "Well, Cath is here…" he tells them.

No kidding? She can see that very well. "Come on Mary Ann, let's…" she doesn't finish the sentence and just turns, intending to drag the younger girl away for…she's not exactly sure yet.

But then he calls out. "Hey Kono…"

So she turns back and asks, "Yes?"

He stares at her for the longest time and she can't look away. And she sees an unspoken question in his eyes that she can't decipher and she makes a move to get closer because she thinks whatever that question is that it's something she needs to answer. And when he too takes a step towards her she almost has an out-of-body experience because everything else fades away. And then his gaze drops to her mouth and the intensity of it is almost palpable that she can't help but part her lips in response as though he'd physically stroked them. And she sees his eyes darken and she's almost panting in anticipation despite the distance that separates them. And yeah, there's a lot of 'and' in her rambling but...

"Steve."

It takes her a moment to realize that it's not her who calls his name, but his effing girlfriend. Suddenly she's furious at him because what the hell? He has no business making her feel like this when he's with someone else. And she takes a step back because she's this close to telling him off but then she sees his expression and fuck if he doesn't look as disappointed as she feels.

It gives her a perverse sort of satisfaction to see that he doesn't even realize his name is being called because he's actually taken another step towards her.

"Steve!" This time the voice comes out sharply and it's only then that he seems to come out of his trance.

She thinks she should probably feel sorry for his girlfriend when she sees a look of annoyance flit through his face before he quickly masks it if she didn't also feel the same way. But the moment is broken and so takes another step back, intending to leave.

"I guess I'll see you at work then…" He is still looking at her intently.

"Sure boss." She makes sure to add the last word in because it seems that they both needed reminding of this fact. She turns quickly so she doesn't see how he reacts to this. When she sees a small smile on Mary Ann's lips she realizes that she probably knows that her visit isn't exactly as innocent as she makes it out to be.

They're in the house when she finally gets the nerve to ask. "So why did you bail me out?"

The other girl smiles at her in mischief before she answers, "Well…I really would like you to teach me how to surf so now you can't say no."

She laughs at this. "Done!"

"Besides, I like you better than her…," Mary Ann adds as she points outside.

She is amused but she can't possibly admit anything to his sister can she? "Oh…you have the wrong idea…I'm not…"

But Mary Ann's eyes twinkle. "Pants on fire…"

She finally sighs at this and shrugs. What the heck? In for a penny… "I'm crazy I know." She can't help the wistful tone from entering her voice.

"Well…Can't say I disagree with you there. I haven't seen him in years but it seems time has made him…" she trails off.

She reaches out to hold the younger girl's hand because for a second there, she sees McG in her expression. "You want to go out for coffee somewhere?" she asks because it suddenly dawns on her that she's being selfish by keeping the fact that she knew her father a secret.

"Oh my God!" the blonde girl suddenly gasps. "You're K!"

"Excuse me?" She asks in confusion.

"My Dad…he called you K right? I thought it was Kay as in K A Y but it's just K. Short for Kono."

"He talked about me to you?" She's surprised at this.

"He said…" and the younger girl gets choked up. "He said you were like a female Steve."

She takes a moment to compose herself because she too gets a little choked up. "I'm sorry…" she offers hesitantly. "I…"

"Don't be. I for one am glad he had someone here because we couldn't be…"

"I called him McG…" She offers.

Mary Anne laughs at this. "Figures…"

"Does Steve…"

"No…my Dad and him…they didn't…"

"Sorry…you don't have to…I mean it's really none of my business."

"Well, it's early days yet…but it could be…"

"What do you mean?" She asks, not quite sure what the other girl is implying.

But all she gets is an enigmatic smile. "I think I'd like that coffee right about now…"

* * *

Coffee with Mary Ann turns into dinner and then drinks as they find themselves reminiscing about McG. It is strange at first but it gets easier and by the end they are both laughing (and crying) together like long lost sisters. She tells her about meeting Steve several years ago and how she ended up kissing him. She blames this candor on the drinks because she doesn't even feel embarrassed at admitting how much that kiss has fucked up her social life in the intervening years. Of course she makes the girl promise not to say anything to her brother because he is after all her boss and then there's Catherine and well, he doesn't even remember their kiss from long ago.

It is this final reason that starts her crying. Because he's an asshole for not remembering and for saying all those wonderful things about protecting her always and then giving her the best present ever to make up for her being unable to attend her own graduation and for being so damned good looking and sexy and you know, not being a frog, when all the time he has Catherine. And then she realizes that the latter actually makes him one – a frog, that is and then they are laughing because Mary Ann finds it hilarious that she calls his brother a frog.

And yeah, she's glad they're off the next day because she's more than three sheets to the wind. She looks at her new friend to see if she's as drunk as she is and is surprised to realize that only a third of the bottles in front of them were Mary Ann's. She frowns a bit when she notices that the blonde girl is talking to someone on the phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Steve. He needs to pick us up…"

Steve? Fuck! He's going to kill her for corrupting his sister. "No! Hang up…Chin can do it…" Shit! But the other girl is already hanging up. Too late! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

And before she knows it he's standing in front of them looking…she's not exactly sure…half amused and half annoyed…maybe…she can't really tell. It doesn't occur to her to wonder at how fast he arrives considering that when they'd left, he was hot and heavy with Catherine and damned if that idea doesn't depress her.

"Can you walk?" His question startles her and she's about to answer when she realizes he's talking to his sister.

"Yes. But I don't think she can…" Mary Ann points to her.

The traitor! Of course she can walk. She's not that drunk! And she tells him so. Of course lying to a Navy SEAL is a bad idea because apparently, lie detection might have been part of their training…at least she thinks so because his look patently indicates disbelief. But then again, that might also be because she stumbles as soon as she stands up.

"Are you okay?" he asks and she has a brief déjà vu moment because it's the exact same thing he asked her that long ago night. Unfortunately for her (and for him, if you really think about it), unlike that night in another bar long ago, when she made it to the bathroom...this time around she's too far away. And she tries to hold it in…she really does…but…

It's mortifying and she'd probably be more embarrassed if you know, she's less drunk but thankfully she is blessedly sotted so yeah, she doesn't care as much as she should that she'd just puked her guts out on her new boss. And she actually giggles at the expression on his face and okay…maybe he looks nothing like the amphibian she calls him earlier but he does look a little green right about now.

She's not exactly sure how she and Mary Ann manage to get to the bathroom to clean up but she's able to splash water on her face and rinse her mouth and she's feeling marginally better when they emerge. He's waiting outside the bathroom door of course and herds both her and Mary Ann out of the bar and onto his car. He half carries her and she's expecting to be put in the backseat but the younger girl beats her to it and he has no choice but to buckle her in on the passenger side.

She must have drifted off because when she comes to, they're already in front of her house. And yeah, there's that déjà vu moment again, except this time, they're not alone – although if Mary Ann's awake, she's doing a spectacular job at pretending to be asleep. She's already half-way to being sober so she's starting to feel embarrassed enough at her behavior that she quickly fumbles for the door. But just as she's about to get out of the car she realizes what better time to see if he's really as good at kissing as her memory suggests than when she has drunkenness as an excuse? And before she can think further about her foolhardy plan, she's leaning in to kiss him like she had that long ago night.

And did he really meet her halfway?

But just as their lips are about to touch…

His phone rings.

His fucking phone rings!

There's a groan from the back and she thinks he'd probably wonder at this more if not for the fact that it's his fucking girlfriend who's calling. She takes a look at the backseat from the mirror and sees that yep, little McGarrett's actually just pretend sleeping. And she should probably be amused that his sister's playing matchmaker if she isn't too mortified about the near kiss. Which is why she makes her escape while he's busy with the phone because she's not nearly as drunk as she needs to be in order to pass off that stunt as 'bottle-driven.'

And she thinks if that isn't the universe telling her that it's a bad idea all around, then she doesn't know what is.

So yeah, let him continue kissing some other princess…

She'll keep her mermaid tail any day, thank you very much…

Besides, she doesn't really believe in fairytales.

And this isn't a fairytale.

* * *

**AN: **So this is a little bit different from the other chapters in that it isn't episode-centric but rather takes off after the last one and is completely AU but I did need to move the story along in the context of my first chapter and it's a bit hard to do that if I stay canon. Anyway, let me know if you'd rather I stay episode-centric (although really – my muses tend to be a temperamental lot and basically does what they want to do *sigh*). On the upside, it is a longer than normal though so that's something right?


	10. Chapter 9: The Coral Prince Charming

**Disclaimer :** All characters you recognize I do not own.

**AN**: Again, a big *hug* to everyone for reading and leaving feedback. Here's the next installment...it's a mix of canon and AU so I hope it doesn't disappoint and Steve's musing isn't too OoC. I couldn't resist focusing a little on the episode just because of the Coral Prince reference and because the guy who plays Ben Bass is actually Prince Charming in "Once Upon a Time" =D

Unbeta'ed so all mistakes are mine.

* * *

_When the Prince realized his folly in kissing another, he quickly set after the fleeing Princess to win her back. But before he could explain, an evil troll had already whisked her away._

Really? That's what you're going with? An evil troll? She is neither evil nor a troll – she was only trying to be helpful after all.

_Desperate, the Prince bargained with the helpful tro… __**fairy **__to help him get to the Princess._

(…which she did because unlike some other people she knew, she's awesome like that…)

_Alas, the Princess had already gone back to her own kingdom by the sea where another prince awaited._

Well it's a good thing that he doesn't believe in fairytales then...

And that this is not a fairytale.

Even if like the fairytale, there really is another prince…

**Chapter 9: The (Coral) Prince Charming **

…the surfing brand Coral Prince that is, which he got to know about when its CEO Ian Adams gets shot and killed while in the water with _**her**_ during a surfing event. Turns out he was the mentor who had offered her, her first surfing contract. He wants to wrap his arms around her when he sees the devastation on her face but has to settle for just asking if she's okay because big cousin Chin is there and yeah, she's still avoiding him after that near kiss a couple of nights ago. When she insists on being part of the investigation, he lets her even though he wants her to sit it out, because he finds he can't really deny her anything even if he worries about her all the time. It's something he regrets when she nearly gets hurt while at the Tent City in Kawela Bay.

Of course his concern turns to consternation when he realizes that the reason she's there is because she's been 'hanging out' with her old buddy Ben Bass, who incidentally is Ian's partner's son. And he thinks maybe her hanging out with a friend who also knows Ian is good thing except that this Ben guy is young and good looking and also a former surfing champion himself. He congratulates himself for his restraint because he's able to stop himself for asking what the hell she was doing with him in the middle of the night. And he knows he's being irrational because it's not like he has any right to be all jealous and possessive anyway since she doesn't even want to acknowledge their near kiss, let alone remember their kiss from long ago and yeah, that he's actually in a sort of relationship with Catherine too.

Still, when Ben becomes a potential suspect, he can't help but be a little (a lot) pissed when she insists that her friend's lack of alibi does not mean he did it. So maybe he acts like an ass and tells her it doesn't mean he didn't either. Of course he really feels like an ass when it comes out later that it's actually the guy's father – scratch that – the guy whom Ben thought was his father – who was actually the one who killed Ian because apparently, Ben is actually Ian's son. So not only is the guy young and good looking and a surfer, he's a fucking heir to an empire as well.

So yeah, maybe he's wondering (okay, a tad worried) that Ben might be more than a 'friend' which is why his sister is now asking him why they're out on the beach on this fine day.

"Didn't you have a surfing lesson with Kono?" He answers with a question as he stares at a large crowd of surfers paddling out into the water. When he gets no answer he looks at her and realizes she's looking at him with another one of her knowing grins. "What?" he asks testily.

"Duh. I think she's kind of in the middle of something right now."

"I guess." He answers reluctantly still staring at _**her**_ figure as she sits astride her surfboard next to her 'friend' Ben and he curses his wolf-like eyesight because he sees that they're holding hands. Of course, everyone in the circle's holding each other's hands too because it's actually a ceremony to honor Ian. What? Didn't he say he's being irrational?

"You do know that you didn't have to pretend to take me to my surfing lesson if you wanted to see her." Mary Ann tells him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He answers without missing a beat even though he's actually surprised that she's picked up on his interest in his teammate. But then again, asking his sister about what she and Kono had talked about that night might have tipped her off because ever since then, she's been looking at him with that knowing smile on her face like she knows something he doesn't and it's been driving him crazy.

Of course, that near kiss has also been driving him crazy and he curses for the nth time Catherine's rotten timing in making that call. He knows he should feel guilty for his less than exemplary behavior in chasing after Kono while she was still there and then quickly sending her off without so much as a goodnight kiss when she got called back to her ship just minutes after his sister had left with his teammate. And while he's at it, he supposes he should also feel guilty for tracking his sister's phone the minute Catherine left so he could go and follow them like some creepy stalker in B movie. It was probably a good thing that they were both drunk enough not to question the speed with which he'd arrived at the bar when it was miles away from home.

"So you don't like her?" Mary Ann asks.

Not really wanting to lie outright, he just gives her a blank look.

"So then you don't really care that she's kissing Ben now, right?"

He almost gives himself a whiplash when he quickly turns to see and he hears her laugh because of course, they're not really kissing, although that hug seems to be taking forever to end. "Ha! Ha! Funny."

"Isn't it just?" She teases him and before he could stop her, she is calling out "Kono!" and running towards her.

"Mary Ann! What are you doing here?" Surprise is evident in her voice.

"Oh, I just wanted to see how you were. You must be Ben…" she turns to the man standing next to Kono. "I'm Mary Ann, her boss' sister." She introduces herself.

He's not quite sure whether to be glad that she hasn't noticed him yet but is grateful for his sister when she 'distracts' Ben and drags him away.

"Steve! I mean, Boss…what are you doing here?" She asks when she finally sees him.

He tries not to wince when she corrects herself and calls him Boss. "I uh…brought Mary Ann. She wanted to see how you were." He answers lamely.

"Oh…yeah…she told me."

Did she sound disappointed with his answer? "So, how are you holding up? I never got around to asking…"

"Better now that Ian's killer is behind bars."

He tells himself it's a bad idea, he really does. But then he finds himself reaching out for her hand and pulling her towards him and before he knows it, he's wrapping his arms around her like he's wanted to do the day Ian was shot. "I'm sorry. Chin told me how much he meant to you." He whispers into her hair.

She is stiff in his arms for a minute, before she too wraps her arms around him. "He never gave up on me…"

"I know."

He allows himself a minute before he draws reluctantly away.

She is blushing as she thanks him.

"You need a ride to your place?" He asks.

"Oh…Ben's taking me…" she explains.

And he tries not to ask, he really does, but the words come out anyway. "So, you and Ben huh…"

"What do you mean?" she asks in confusion.

Shit! "I meant…" Fuck! What did he mean? "I'm sorry your friend had to be brought in for questioning…" he says instead.

"It's fine. I mean, I know it had to be done…he had no alibi and he did have motive…at least we thought he had motive…"

"Yeah…but I was an ass when you tried to defend him." He offers in apology.

She just nods in response.

"I guess I'll see you at work then…" he knows he's lingering.

"Sure. Thanks again."

She is turning away to walk towards Ben and his sister when he decides to throw caution to the winds and calls out. "Are we allowed to talk about it?"

She stops walking and turns around to look at him. "Talk about what?"

She looks genuinely confused and he feels like a giant tool because not only has she forgotten that first kiss, apparently, she's forgotten that near kiss the other night as well. So he's standing there trying to come up with something to say and he's floundering and maybe wishing for the earth to swallow him up. And he tells himself to quit while he's ahead but then his filter apparently has headed for the hills because he hears himself ask. "The other night…"

He focuses on her eyes intently hoping for an indication that she knows what he's talking about and yes…there it is. It was gone as quickly as it came but he's seen it. She remembers. But then she shakes her head and offers an apology for something else. "Oh…I'm sorry about getting sick on you…"

He considers letting her off the hook because this is certainly not the time nor place to talk about it because they're on the beach for crying out loud and Ben and his sister are both waiting for them but… "I wasn't talking about that."

And there it is, he's thrown the gauntlet and he holds his breath waiting for her next move.

Of course, _Coral Prince fucking Charming_ himself chooses this moment to walk back towards them and asks if she's ready to leave.

And he'd take time to acknowledge his sister's look of apology at not being able to stall the guy long enough for him to get his freaking answer if he isn't so pissed. Because of course, she escapes again with a smile for him and his sister and takes off with the guy.

"You know…Kono is right." Mary Ann muses aloud.

"What?" He asks testily. "What are you talking about?"

"Green really is your color."

He thinks maybe there's a joke there somewhere because she's laughing at him but he doesn't really care because…because his princess is riding off into the sunset with another prince…

"He's not you know…." Mary Ann interrupts his pity party.

"He's not what?" He asks without looking at her.

"Her prince…" She answers. "He's not her prince."

And he'd probably be freaked out about how she knows what he's thinking but he's too curious about her statement not to ask. "Why not?"

"Because you're the frog." She answers with a shrug as though that explains everything.

"What?" A frog? What the fuck?

But she's already walking away.

He sighs heavily as he follows her.

And he thinks it's probably a good thing that he really doesn't believe in fairytales…

Because yeah…this is definitely not a fairytale.


	11. Chapter 10: The Bullfrog & the Beast

**Disclaimer : **Anything you recognize from H50 I don't own.

**AN:** Sorry for the wait but I was (am) swamped with coding and couldn't find the time to write (had to work over the weekend too) the whole of last week. I still have no business writing at all but my muses were restless so I finally had to let them out. As usual, I thank everyone who's taken the time to read my work and leave feedback (and add this to their favorites and alerts lists) – and I know should really take time to get back to everyone personally but time is being a mean SOB so this would have to do for now. (I hope those who do leave comments won't get tired of doing so even if I don't respond personally though). Anyway, this is unbeta'ed so all mistakes are mine.

PS. Flying back home (again) this Thursday so the next update (for this & Aftermath) might take a while. Hope you all keep reading anyway. *hugs to all*

* * *

_As punishment for his less than princely behavior towards the two princesses, the Prince was cursed to become a beast and only a true love's kiss was destined to break the spell. So the beastly Prince sought to capture the attention of his one-true-Princess so she could break the spell. Alas, the Princess was too busy kissing other frogs in her quest to turn one into a prince._

A curse? Really? That's the explanation for the aneurysm face? What kind of a….wait…what frogs? There's more than one?

Huh! It's a good thing that this isn't a fairytale then.

Even if like the fairytale, there really is a frog and (a beast).

**Chapter 10: The (Bull)frog & the Beast**

She's always known that there was something hokey about that frog prince 'fairytale' crap. Because really, what girl in her right mind would ever want to kiss a frog, let alone a talking one? That would just be creepy as hell and even if you somehow preferred the other version of that tale…well, have you ever seen an animal splattered all over a wall? Yikes!

So when she told Mary Ann about Steve being 'the frog' – she was really only joking – at least, that's her story and she's sticking by it. Then again, she never thought the younger girl would actually tell her brother about it but surprise, surprise, she DID tell. Why else would _**he **_be asking her what she thought about frogs of all things when she got to work the day after their beach-side encounter with Ben and Mary Ann? Fortunately, she was saved from having to actually answer when they get a call from Danny asking them to look into the death of his ex-partner Meka.

That was a couple of weeks ago and since he's never brought it up again, she's been breathing a lot easier and thinking she's off the hook.

Of course she should have known better because when they get a case investigating the death of an advance security detail for Sandimar dictator General Pak, guess who (what) comes knocking on that proverbial door but the a real live talking frog? Ok, so it's not really the green amphibian kind but rather Steve's former SEALs teammate Nick Taylor aka 'Bullfrog,' whose firm they would be assisting in providing added security for the general. She just barely stops herself from looking at the heavens because of all call signs in the world he has to have**_ that_** particular one.

So when she meets him she's a little (a lot) rattled and if she thinks (wonders) if maybe that's the universe's way of telling her that fairytales might actually come true, can one really blame her? After all, if she were to actually kiss a 'frog' then it might as well be someone who's actually called Bullfrog, right? And really, if she's honest with herself, Taylor isn't all that bad to look at – actually, he's really kind of hot – if you know, you're into those tall, blonde, muscly types. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) she isn't. *Sigh*

Someone should really take the time to explain chemistry to her. Because why is it that she can look at two equally attractive men side-by-side and be so cross-eyed into one and not the other? Especially if said hot guy she's into acts more like a Neanderthal beast than a prince most days anyway? (She bets the reason he's actually called Smooth Dog has something to do with his beastly attitude rather than anything else, right Danny?) Still, she does make an effort to focus on Taylor in the hopes that he at least distracts her attention from a certain dark-haired, bossy and beastly and hot amnesiac commander with a penchant for danger and a navy girlfriend to boot.

But then _**he**_ chooses the day she actually decides to go ahead and get to know Taylor better to partner up with her in chasing a lead and thus effectively preventing her from further 'socializing' with Bullfrog. She tells herself it has absolutely nothing to do with jealousy on his part because that's just foolish and silly thinking, right? So she bites her lips so she doesn't ask about frogs and some other stupid s*hit like that and just channels her inner frustration at his caveman-like tendencies in making her watch the back door instead of going with him to ask the suspect by body tackling said guy when he runs. And okay, maybe she does take a moment to re-evaluate because the beast's decision actually works in their favor.

And yeah, she really should have known better than to actually consider kissing another 'frog' because as it's always the case with her, said frog turns out to be a snake in disguise (someone give Danny a cookie for having the good instinct to actually hate the guy at first sight), which is why they end up hiding in Steve's house with the General and his family and being surrounded by Taylor's men. She'd take time to actually comfort Steve for his friend's betrayal if you know, they weren't too busy trying not to get killed protecting a mass-murdering dictator in the process.

And if she ever thought her feelings for him was no more than a silly infatuation borne of a kiss that's been blown out of proportion in her mind, then seeing him in his natural element as a SEAL just about blows that notion out of her mind. Because yeah, how could she possibly not be into a guy who fights for duty over personal feelings and goes all fairytale hero on her by actually saving her before riding off to fight the evil villain of the piece?

And when the encounter finally ends and they find Steve bloody and bruised with a decidedly dead Bullfrog on the beach, it takes all she has not to launch herself into his arms and kiss the living daylights out of him. She supposes she has the HPD to thank for coming just in time to actually stop her from throwing all caution to the winds. So she settles for just whispering a soft "Thanks" to him as they're walking back to his now destroyed house, hoping he understands all that she wants to say even if she lacks the guts to say them out loud.

She's just stepped out of the shower later that night when she gets a call from him and she nearly drops her cell in surprise.

"Kalakaua." She hopes her voice sounds normal, given that she's only wearing a towel as she answers.

"Hey…" is all he says.

And she has trouble breathing because his voice has her thinking things she shouldn't be thinking about – especially in the middle of the night while practically naked.

"What are you doing?" He asks and she thinks maybe her near-death experience earlier has affected her profoundly because her brain-to-mouth filter goes AWOL on her and she finds herself telling the truth.

"Showering..." and yes, her voice comes out huskier than she intends.

The long silence on the other end brings her to her senses (a little) and she frantically thinks of a way to bring their conversation on track but comes up blank.

"Funny…so was I."

And she would probably think he might actually be flirting with her if the slight hitch in his voice is an indication had the image of rivulets of water dripping down his body not been playing like some porno in her mind…which, ironically is what actually brings her fully back to her senses.

"Something on your mind, Boss?" She finally manages to ask, making sure to add the last part because she desperately needs the reminder that she has no business thinking X-rated thoughts about him at all.

"Oh… yeah, I just…I wanted to ask why earlier…" He offers.

"Why what?" she asks because she's not quite sure what he's talking about.

"Why you said thanks…"

"Well, you did save my life..." She reminds him.

He laughs. "I'm sure you'd have done the same for me."

"Would I?" she teases him.

"Of course…although…" he trails off.

"Although what?" she asks curiously as she smiles into the phone.

Of course what he says next wipes it off her face…

"Isn't a_** kiss**_ supposed to be **_how_** the Princess thanks the frog?"

And she might actually think of an answer to that one if she isn't too busy wondering how fast she can get to Mary Ann's beachfront rental so she can go ahead and strangle her.

Because even if she doesn't believe in frog princes (anymore)…

Mary Ann apparently does.

*sigh*

And damned if that doesn't make her think that maybe...

...this might be a fairytale after all.


	12. Chapter 11: The Frog Prince's request

**Disclaimer : **Anything you recognize from H50 I do not own however much I wish it so *sigh*

**AN: **Okay, again, apologies for the uber late update (if you're also reading Aftermath, then you know why). Anyway, this isn't based on any episode but immediately takes off after the last chapter (simply because I think that scene needed to be continued and the next episode in the series is apt for a different fairytale trope). Unbeta'ed so all mistakes are mine.

Hope this was worth the wait. (Oh and again, thanks for the feedback, faves & alerts – they're very much appreciated). ***hugs to everyone***

* * *

_Alas the Princess, it seemed, had no intention of fulfilling her promise to the Prince (turned frog) for she ran off quickly away from him. Thus, he found himself in front of the castle door patiently waiting to be let in._

Fine! So maybe the original version of the fairytale really didn't involve a kiss. And okay, maybe the Princess did (try to) renege on the deal but can one really blame her?

Good thing then that she didn't really believe in fairytales.

And that this isn't exactly a fairytale.

Even if like the fairytale, the frog did show up at her door.

**Chapter 11: The (real) Frog Prince's request**

"Isn't a **kiss** supposed to be **how** the Princess thanks the frog?"

He wants to kick his own behind (if you know, it were possible) the minute the words come out of his mouth. Did he really just f*cking proposition a subordinate over the phone? Maybe (hopefully) he's dreamed the whole thing? Of course, the fact that he'd seemingly stunned her into catatonia (what with that terribly long and uncomfortable silence at the other end of the line) probably means that this is no dream. _Crap!_

So he's thinking of how to salvage the whole situation when she finally answers.

"Really? Didn't the Princess actually throw the frog against a wall instead?"

The hint of laughter in her voice tells him she hadn't taken his question seriously which should have come as a relief, right? So why the hell is he feeling disappointed instead?

"Is that so?" he asks because he can't seem to let it go.

"Didn't you read the fairytale?"

"Did you?" He challenges her then because yes, he actually did. In fact as soon as Mary Ann made that frog comment he actually googled the damned story and he now actually knows ALL versions of that particular fairytale, including the original one by the Brothers Grimm.

"Of course I did."

The smug satisfaction in her voice acts like salt to his already smarting ego which is why his brain-to-mouth filter shuts down.

"So then you know that in that version of the tale, the frog actually asked to sleep with the Princess in her bed first?"

He nearly groans aloud as he realizes what a f*cking idiot he is being. Didn't she already give him an out with her deflection earlier? So why the hell couldn't he just leave it alone? He'd be lucky if she doesn't slap him with a sexual harassment charge!

He's about to backtrack and apologize when she answers him. "You know Boss, you could have just asked outright."

_Huh? Ask what outright? Surely she didn't mean…_

_Did she just agree to…_

"I'm sorry I didn't think to offer earlier…" she continues, "but I thought you'd ask Danny instead."

_Danny? What the f*ck has Danny got to do with…_

"Or maybe Chin…"

_What the...! Chin?_

"What are you…" but before he could finish the question to fully comprehend what she really means, he hears fumbling at the other end and he realizes that she's dropped the phone in a hurry. "Kono?" He asks and when she doesn't answer, he starts to panic. "Kono?" He asks again as he quickly gets out of his car and runs to her front door.

Oh, did he mention that he's been outside her house all the while? No? Well, he was. He is. But in his defense, it's only because he needed to make sure she's really okay. After all she nearly did get killed earlier (which makes him break out in cold sweat when he remembers how close it had been).

He's already kicked her front door and is on his way to her bedroom when she comes back on the phone.

"Sorry about that Bo…" she starts before she quickly dives for the gun on the table and whirls around to point it at him when she hears the door slam open.

"Drop your wea…"

"Kono, are you…"

They both say simultaneously, before she straightens up from her stance and asks, "Steve?"

That he's caught her by surprise is evident by the widening of her eyes and the way his name comes out of her mouth instead of the normal 'Boss'.

Of course, her shock is nothing compared to his. Because f*ck if she isn't wearing only a towel while toting the Kel-Tec he gave her.

And he thinks this would be funny as hell if he didn't feel so damned stupid for barging into her house and essentially breaking down her door in the process.

"Did you just kick my front door open?"

If he could have made the earth swallow him up he would have. Unfortunately, that was beyond his power. _Damn!_ "I…"

"What the f*ck Boss?" Her shock has turned into annoyance.

"I thought something had happened…" He offers sheepishly, knowing full well she is well within her rights to shoot him with the very same gun he'd given her.

"I could have shot you!" That she is royally pissed is a massive understatement.

"I know. " He admits. "I'm sorry…" He adds as he tries vainly not to physically react to the nearly naked, gun-toting, badass woman before him.

"Well what the hell are you waiting for?" She asks as she places her unoccupied hand on her waist impatiently.

"Huh?" He asks dumbfounded.

"I need to change." She raises an eyebrow at him as she explains.

"Oh…" He thinks he might be blushing so he takes a little time to be glad for the soft lighting in her bedroom before he hastily backs out of it. "Yeah…sorry…" He's unable to finish before she slams the door to his face.

* * *

He's already gotten his toolbox out of his car and is busy trying to repair the damage he's done to her front door when she finally comes down.

"Do I need a new door?" she asks and he is surprised at the lack of anger in her voice.

He stops what he's doing and turns to answer her. "A new lock anyway…but this will hold for tonight…"

She nods calmly as she sits down and waits for him to finish.

When he's done checking his repairs from the inside and out, he closes the door and sits next to her.

"I'm really sorry." He apologizes again. "I really thought something had happened to you."

She sighs heavily. "You're lucky I owe you for saving my life earlier…"

He smiles ruefully at this. "Does that mean I don't get my kiss_?" Yep, he's really on a roll for sheer stupidity this night it seems._

"Do you want to be thrown against the wall?" She threatens him.

And he's damned if the thought of her slamming him against a wall didn't just put a totally inappropriate R-rated picture in his mind.

"Not before I sleep on your bed, Princess." He teases. At least, he thinks it comes out as teasing because yeah…he thinks (knows?) he might actually be serious about asking.

"You wish."

"_Yes. Don't I wish?"_ he thinks. Instead he offers, "Okay...I guess I can settle for the couch."

"Persistent, aren't we?" She asks.

"Well, my house _**IS**_ trashed…" He knows he's playing a dangerous game with this whole thing, but f*ck it. He might as well milk the situation for all it's worth. "And I can be your guard dog... seeing as lock repair isn't exactly something I could quit my day job for..."

"Smooth. Real smooth." She laughs. "No wonder they called you Smooth Dog." She quips.

It's his turn to laugh. "Not really…but I can get on board with that reason."

"Hmm…" She hums as she considers his offer.

So ne nudges her shoulder with his. "Come on. Not only are you doing a solid for me…you get a personal Navy SEAL bodyguard to boot."

She nudges back at his shoulder with hers. "I suppose. But you still owe me a new door."

"And you owe me for saving your life." He teases back.

"Don't push it!" She warns before she stands up.

He stops her from walking away by reaching for her left hand with his right and gently squeezing it. She looks startled for a moment at the gesture and he knows he should let go.

He should.

But he doesn't.

So she looks at him in question but doesn't say a word.

The urge to pull her onto his lap hits him strongly as he stares at her, because she looks so damned sexy in her tank top and shorts with her hair still slightly damp from her shower. But before he could give in, she's pulling him up.

"Come on. You can help me get some sheets and pillows for you."

He sighs as he stands and reluctantly let go. "Well…if I must."

"You must." She throws over her shoulder as they make their way upstairs.

* * *

He's been tossing and turning on the sofa for the last hour, unable to sleep. One, because her couch, while soft and comfy, is too short for his frame; two, because ever since he's seen in her in that towel with that gun he's been having flashbacks of their kiss five years ago; and three, because the thought that she's only a stairway away is wreaking havoc on his self control.

And he knows he has no business lusting after her. Not only is she working under him (no pun intended), she's also still a rookie to boot! And she's Chin's cousin. And she's a lot younger than him. Oh and yeah, he's still with Catherine…sort of.

_Damn!_

But…

There's always a but isn't there?

But he's still a little (a lot) messed up about that kiss from long ago. So really, didn't he owe it to himself to put that whole memory to rest?

Because what if…

What if, she really is the one?

So what if she doesn't remember that long ago kiss? Maybe another one will jog her memory? After all, didn't Princes kiss the Princesses in fairytales?

Unless of course you're the frog prince, in which case you get thrown against a wall instead. (He really should ask his sister why she chose that tale of all tales. Seriously! A frog? Why, even the Beast was better than the frog surely? )

But then again, maybe getting to sleep with the Princess might just be worth the pain.

Even if he didn't really believe in fairytales…

And this isn't a fairytale.


	13. The magical door & the 4T thieves

**AN: **I'm back! Sorry for taking so long to update but we've only just finished the project we're working on and there's another one with a pending deadline so I've been pretty busy with coding. And since it was my mom's birthday last weekend, was kept busy cooking and baking as well. Anyway, I hope the fact that this is longer than usual (though probably still short by most standards) makes up for that.

Again, than you for the alerts & faves and special thanks to those who've taken the time to leave comments as well. I really appreciate it. *hugs to all*. Do let me know what you think of this one.

**Disclaimers:** Unbeta'ed so all mistakes are mine. Oh and any name you recognize from the series _Hawaii Five-0_ I definitely do not own, if I did, McKono would be canon. Oh well...

* * *

_So it happened one day that while the Prince was out wandering into the woods, he came upon a band of thieves. Being outnumbered one to forty, he quickly hid as the band of outlaws made their way towards a cave. And then lo and behold, the leader of the group called out, "Open Sesame" and the large stone door rumbled and started moving. And when it finally lay open, all forty men entered and it shut behind them once more._

_The Prince debated with himself on whether to leave his hiding place and risk being caught by the thieves if they happened to come out then. So he stayed put. And rightly so for in the next instance, the cave door opened again and the band of forty men made their way out. And after the leader ordered the cave door shut with the words "Close Sesame" the group thundered away further into the woods once more._

_And it's with this quandary that he stood facing that great magical cave door. Should he leave and forget he'd ever seen this place? Or should he enter and see what treasures lie behind it at the risk of being discovered by the thieves? _

Okay…so maybe it wasn't a prince who came upon the thieves in that story but a wood cutter by the name of Ali Baba.

It's not like this is a fairytale anyway.

Even if like the fairytale, there really were thieves…

**Chapter 12: The magical (cave) door and the 4T thieves**

…not forty though…more like four … that is, four T (riathlete) thieves. And yeah, the Prince does find himself facing a door...

_She's tossing and turning on the bed because despite her best effort not to think about it, the fact that her insanely hot and gorgeous boss is sleeping on her couch just a couple of steps and a stairway away is wreaking havoc on her senses. Sure, he's only there for her own 'security' seeing as her front door now needs replacing but that's thanks to his misguided (albeit heroic) attempt at 'saving' her from who knows what phantom he's thought of earlier, instead of crashing at Danny's place (since his own house was trashed during their last case). Now normally, that wouldn't have gotten her into her current state. But…it's what he's been saying before and after his arrival at her house that's got her confused and out of sorts._

'_Cause she could have sworn he was flirting with her, what with that comment about the princess kissing the frog and his own shower reference. And yeah, she could have just as easily chalked those up to just teasing but then he repeats it just before 'suggesting' that she repay him for saving her by allowing him to sleep in her bed…which while tempting, is not exactly something that she can, in good conscience, take him up on because, hello! He's her boss. She already gets enough raised eyebrows at HPD because of her continued association with Chin so if it ever comes out that she's also sleeping with her boss…_

_Not that she cares (much) about what other people think of her anyway, but if H50 ever gets disbanded (knock-on-wood), she certainly doesn't want that on her 'resume.' _

_But knowing what she's supposed to do…or in this case, what she's not supposed to do is not the same as wanting to do (or not do) it. So yeah, she's wishing she has the guts to get up, march over to where he is and just go ahead and kiss the living daylights (or nightlights) out of him. Just so she can finally put to rest that memory of their long-ago kiss. Of course, there's always the possibility that she'll end up even more f*cked up than she is if she does kiss him again, because if memory serves, that kiss was really…_

_She is startled out of her reverie by the soft knock on her bedroom door. _

"_Come in..." she calls out as she sits up, hoping her voice sounds calm even though her heart is racing like mad at the thought of Steve entering her room in the middle of the night. _

_The door opens and Steve enters hesitantly. When his gaze drops from her face to her chest, she realizes that maybe she should have pulled the blanket up when she sat up because she'd already gotten rid of her bra and her tank top wasn't exactly cut modestly and did she mention that it was white?_

"_What's up Boss?" she asks while fighting the urge to cross her arms over her chest because she's an adult and it's not like she has that much up her front anyway._

"_Uhm…" his voice comes out hoarsely. "I couldn't sleep and I was wondering if maybe I can…"_

"_Sleep with me?" she completes the sentence for him just as he finishes with a "…make myself a hot cocoa…"_

"_What?" They both say at the same time._

_He sounds and looks bemused._

_She's embarrassed and wishing for the earth to swallow her up whole. _

_He looks to be debating with himself on how to respond and she's hoping he does not comment further on her mistaken assumption. Of course she wishes for naught because he answers with a hint of a smile. _

"_Would you have said yes if that had been my question?" _

_She tries to think of a witty comeback but she is coming up blank and he's looking so cute and sexy with that smirk of his and it's the middle of the night and she's in bed and she's been thinking of their long ago kiss and so her guard is down, which is why she answers the way she does. _

"_Only if I get to throw you against the wall first." _

_And she thinks maybe she's lost her mind because she swears her voice comes out challenging instead of teasing. And yeah, issuing a challenge to a Navy SEAL? Probably not a good idea…especially in the middle of the night when they're both still wound up from their near-brush with death._

_He stares at her and looks to be considering what she said and the hint becomes a full blown smile and the he is moving further into her room and she can't help but swallow visibly because her throat suddenly feels dry and she thinks maybe he can hear the loud beating of her heart even with the distance between them._

"_Well?" He asks when he stops between her bed and the door and looks at her expectantly._

"_Well, what?" she knows she looks as confused as she feels._

"_I'm waiting."_

"_Waiting?" She wonders aloud._

"_Is that the wall you had in mind?" He answers her question with one of his own as he motions his head towards the wall adjacent to the door. _

_And that's when she realizes what he means and she tries not to blush. She really does! But she knows she's failing quite miserably. And because he seems to be enjoying his ability to fluster her, she gets back to him the only way she knows how._

* * *

She comes back to the present when her phone rings shrilly. She groans aloud when she sees it's from Chin because she knows her plan to ditch work for the day to avoid Steve (because she's not quite ready to face him just yet after what happened the night before) has just gone up in smoke. She gets confirmation when he tells her about an armored truck heist and so she has no choice but to ride with her cousin to the crime scene.

* * *

He's busy repairing the damage wrought by Bullfrog and his men to his house with Kamekona just sitting there and watching him when Danny arrives in a snit for his failure to answer his phone. They have a case and he gives a sigh of relief at finally having an excuse to stop pretending that he's any good at fixing broken windows and walls and do…

Yeah, he has to give himself a mental kick to stop thinking about his earlier attempt at 'repairing a door' because that would only lead to him recalling what happened after…

* * *

_He doesn't really know what he's expecting her to do when he teases her and given her penchant for forging ahead quite recklessly, he really shouldn't even be surprised at what she can be capable of. _

_But even knowing that, he's still taken by surprise when she finally makes her move._

_One minute he's standing in the middle of the room looking at her and the next he's against the wall and she's all up in his face…which, given the disparity between their builds and heights, is quite an accomplishment. He thinks maybe that and the fact that he's a Navy SEAL and she's a rookie cop should have made him feel emasculated (maybe) but somehow he just finds it hot as hell that she's a lot stronger and faster than she looks and he has to clench his fists to stop himself from touching her in places he knows he's going to get in trouble for._

_And he knows it's probably like poking a bear or a lion at a zoo, but damned if he doesn't find himself grinning at her like an idiot and teasing her further. _

"_So…does this mean I get to sleep on your bed now?"_

* * *

She fights Chin for the task of doing the grunt work instead of briefing their team leader in order to postpone the inevitable as long as possible.

But when she finally gets a hit on the tracking devices that were tagged onto each bag of cash in the van she knows she has no choice but to face the music. She pretends nonchalance she doesn't feel and she's grateful that there's a need for expediency so they have no time to…uh… flirt? Act normal? Pretend that they didn't just…

So yeah, she's real glad they have to rush to Pier 20 at Honolulu Harbor. Of course the signal ends up coming from the water which means they need to go swimming to get it. And since she's the rookie she gets the 'plum' job of diving in.

Goodie!

Of course it probably shouldn't have surprised her that _**he**_ volunteers to jump in with her because that's the kind of guy he is. So she gets to see _**him**_ shirtless again and pretend indifference to the sight. And it's probably a good thing you can't really talk underwater because he can't say anything to her when she takes great pains for them not to touch even while in the close confines of the open truck they find deep into the water with all the bags of cashy money.

And she's even more grateful that she only has to interact with him in person with Danny and Chin looking on or over the phone. She does take a moment to admire his ability to really focus on work because _**he really is**_ focused on work. So focused in fact that if she hadn't been with him at her house last night herself, she wouldn't have known just by his demeanor with her that they had actually…

_Focus Kono, focus!_

She tells herself forcefully even as she looks at him in bemusement when he McGyvers (yeah she knows who McGyver is thanks to the boxed DVD set she got from McG) the lifting of prints off the blood bags they find when following up a lead to the case, which of course gives them another lead.

As if being hot and gorgeous weren't enough, he has to be smart as well. _Damn!_

* * *

He's grateful for his SEAL training which taught him the fine art of compartmentalizing because he really needs this ability at the moment. Last night's lapse in judgment is taking a huge bite out of his a*s right now and it's all he can do not to pull her aside and ask if what he thinks happened did in fact happen. But since they only have 18 hours to solve the case, he has no choice but to shelve his chaotic thoughts aside.

He'd escaped to his house on the pretext of needing to do repairs but wonders if she thinks he's chicken sh*t for only leaving a note and the number of the repair guy he's already contacted and paid to fix her door for her when he left her house early this morning. He thinks this might be true because she gets straight to the case with nary a greeting for him and he tamps down the irritation he feels at her own ability to compartmentalize and focus on work, as if they didn't just…

He shakes off this thought when it becomes clear they need to dive in to locate the tracking device for the stolen cash and Danny volunteers her for the job. He goes with her because someone has to (yeah right, as if that's his only reason to do so). She probably thinks he didn't notice how painstakingly she tries to avoid any contact with him as they swim towards and into the armored truck but he did. But since it is neither the time nor place, he lets her get away with it.

So yes, he focuses on work and tries to ignore the undercurrents between them and acts normal, especially around Danny and Chin. And he knows he's succeeded judging by the way she grows more relaxed as the case progresses.

But when they finally close the case and lock up the four triathlete thieves, he's finally left staring at the debris that still takes up much of his living area come nightfall. And he tells himself he really shouldn't even consider going out and getting into his car and driving all the way to her house because that's just asking for trouble. Besides, it's not like that's the only place he can crash in the meantime…there's always Danny's (if you know, he doesn't mind the clutter – which he does)…or Mary Ann's (though her rental's pretty cramped)…or even spend money on a hotel room (though he should probably use that to add to his house repair fund so he doesn't have to do it himself because contrary to popular opinion, there really are some things he's not very good at)…which of course is why he once again finds himself parked in front of her house.

He tells himself it's only because her place is on the way to the nearest hotel anyway so he might as well check if she's made it home okay.

And when he finds himself walking up to her front porch he tells himself it's only to make sure that the a new door has really been installed (for her own security and his own peace of mind).

And when he sees that the new door has in fact been installed he tells himself he's not keenly disappointed that he has no real excuse to offer himself up as her guard dog anymore.

And he knows that he'd only be asking for trouble if he knocks.

But just like that hapless woodcutter found himself unable to walk away from the forty thieves' lair despite the threat of being discovered, he too finds himself unable to walk away from her door.

After all didn't that character make it out of the cave alive and far richer than he ever dreamt was possible? Who's to say he wouldn't have the same luck?

Of course that had been a fairytale…

And last time he looked his name wasn't Ali Baba.

Oh and yeah…this?

This is not a fairytale.


	14. Chapter 13:The rescue & what comes after

**AN1:** All characters from H50, I do not own. Unbeta'ed so all mistakes are mine. As promised, an update this weekend =) (finally)

* * *

_The Princess and her brother got lost in the woods and came upon a gingerbread house with sugar panes and candy canes. Alas the old woman turned out to be an evil witch and she took the brother prisoner so she can fatten him up for slaughter and made the sister her slave. But when the time came for the witch to finally have the boy for supper, his sister managed to outwit the old witch long enough to burn her to a cinder and free her brother._

Okay, so maybe he's not really her brother and the baddie not even a female at all. And it's not actually the villain who gets the fire treatment but several Benjamin Franklins...

But then again, this isn't really a fairytale.

Even if like the fairytale, the girl does do the saving …

**Chapter 14: The rescue & what comes after**

…with a little (a lot of) help from the Prince of course.

So the week starts out like any other week, until suddenly, it isn't.

There's a body found floating in the ocean and the H50 team gets called to investigate. They identify the victim as weapons dealer Luther Magallanes and a sweep of his villa turn up prints that belong to none other than Victor Hesse (yes, _**that**_ same Hesse responsible for McG's death) and the whole thing just turns personal. They recruit Sang Min (yes, _**that**_ same guy who nearly made confetti of her brains during her maiden voyage as an undercover agent) to help them out and gives him a temporary get-out-of-jail pass much to her chagrin. But she's a professional so she tries not to let it get to her.

Of course, they all should have known better because that same lizard of a man double-crosses them and ends up spiriting Hesse away just when Steve (and Danny) get this close to clapping him in irons. (The f*cker!). And she thinks surely that must be the worst of it. But no, everything goes to hell in a hand basket because when they track the signal from Sang Min's ankle monitor, Chin ends up with a bomb strapped around his neck.

And she's trying her best not to panic because it's Chin and he's her cousin/older brother/protector/mentor all rolled into one and the prospect of losing him shakes her to her very core. So when Hesse demands a 10 million dollar ransom (and the Governor issues a no-negotiating-with-terrorists edict) all her scruples fly out the door and she makes him tell Steve about an asset forfeiture locker that happens to contain not only confiscated drugs but 28 million dollars in cash.

It's all she can do not to jump into Steve's arms in sheer gratitude because despite the fact that he bleeds Navy blue blood, he doesn't hesitate to break the rules to save her cousin. So they make plans to 'borrow' some money from the locker and she gets the 'easy' job of being a lookout top side. She thinks it's ironic that she can convince thugs & lowlifes to believe her cover each time but fails miserably in making an old lady accept she actually works for the city government and she's so relieved that the they're able to leave the scene before said old lady can get back from her 'mission' to verify the 'legality' of their activity.

And yeah, his hotness factor (in her eyes) just ups another notch when he tacitly gives his vote of confidence in her ability as a sniper because it's her he takes to cover his back when he goes off to meet Hesse with the ransom money. Of course, that doesn't really prevent her hands from shaking a little when she's holding the rifle while waiting for Steve's signal from her vantage point. She breathes deeply and tries to center herself because she knows that making a mistake is so not an option. So she blocks out her concern for Chin and instead focuses on the scene below. She is so startled to see Victor throwing the bag of cash into the fire that she almost misses the cue from Steve. And she sends a silent thank you to McG for the extra training she gets from him because she successfully shoots the remote out of Hesse's hand as she hastily makes her way down towards the two combatants below. Unfortunately, by the time Steve is able to subdue the other man, there is little that can be done but watch as their 'borrowed' ten million dollars turn to ashes right before their very eyes.

But although she knows they've just screwed themselves royally with this whole operation, it's actually the fact that Chin hasn't been blown to bits that makes her knees shake afterwards.

It's only several hours after that she remembers that they actually have a Christmas celebration planned at Danny's apartment. So yeah, she probably celebrates a little too much (however oxymoronic that may sound) the fact that all of them are present and accounted for. But really, can anybody blame her?

* * *

He's half propping, half-carrying her up towards her front porch a couple of hours later because she's three sheets to the wind and he can't help but smile because this seems to be developing into some kind of a 'thing' between them – that is, her being drunk and him, being her designated driver. He really doesn't mind in all honesty because the first time he did it, she ended up giving him the kiss of his life (even if she doesn't remember it) and the second time he did it, well, he nearly got another shot at her lips before Cath…

"F*ck!" he thinks to himself because yes, he's still (technically) with Catherine (maybe…it's kind of one of those grey areas he's really not too keen on making black and white) and so he**_ really_** has no business thinking about that kiss again or even angling for another attempt at one.

Even though he has actually (already) slept with her…

* * *

"_So…does this mean I get to sleep on your bed now?" he teases her, expecting her to call his bluff._

_He nearly swallows his tongue when she gives him a sly look and smiles mischievously. "Sure…why not?" She answers before she steps away and lets him go._

"_I…" His vocabulary is reduced to one word because for the life of him, he can't think of a proper response. And yeah, his back remains against the wall because he also seems to be unable to move._

_And his mind screams at him to be the big man and just walk out of her bedroom because he knows she's not really serious and he's her boss and it's totally inappropriate and she's Chin's cousin and…_

_He's f*cked because she climbs into bed and pats the space next to her and tells him, "That's your side." Before snuggling under the covers and closing her eyes._

_And he blames it on poor decision making on his part because of course, instead of walking away, he finds himself walking towards the bed instead and sliding in under the covers next to her._

* * *

The thing about that was…it was actually the first time he's ever slept with a woman that he hasn't … well… **_done __that with_**.

And it should have made it awkward, especially since she works for him but damned if he didn't fall asleep immediately after. Of course, the realization that that was all kinds of wrong hit him like a ton of bricks the next morning, which is why he made his escape quickly and stealthily and just left her a note.

And when they become distracted with the case he's able to convince himself that it was just a fluke and that it's not something that's likely to happen again anyway so yeah, no harm no foul, right?

That is, until he found himself standing by her front porch again that very same night.

* * *

"_What's up doc?" she greets him when he finally musters enough nerve to actually knock._

"_My house is still a mess…" he tells her because he can't quite make himself ask the question he's come here to ask._

_She doesn't answer for the longest time so he thinks that yes, he is (finally) going to get slapped with a harassment suit the very next day, and so he's mentally preparing his defense when she surprises the heck out him once again by answering, quite pointedly. "Okay, but you'll owe me breakfast."_

_He (maybe) flushes a little at her dig about his Road Runner impersonation that morning but he's much too relieved (and happy) that she didn't turn him away so he smiles and promises, "Whatever you want…" babe (he barely manages to bite off the term of endearment just in time) and he's glad she's already turned her back to him and so misses out on seeing him bite his lips._

_He's expecting to sleep on the couch but when he comes out of the bathroom (after his nightly ablutions) there aren't any blankets or pillows set out. And when he starts to ask when he peeks into her bedroom (she's left the door open) she just pats the space next to her and snuggles under the blanket once again, like she did the night before._

_He thinks there's probably two ways to view her apparent lack of concern and complete ease about sleeping with him on the same bed. _

_Either she really doesn't find him (sexually) appealing at all (ouch!) OR she just trusts him completely (yeah!). So maybe he takes the second explanation and runs with it, even if there's a part of him that's a little bit (a lot) offended / miffed / disappointed about the possibility that it could be the first option. But because he's always been taught to never (ever) look at a gift horse in the mouth, he just mentally counts his blessings and slides in next to her, as he'd done the night before._

* * *

Of course, when his house finally gets fixed (because let's face it, he very well can't _**not**_ have it done) the sleepover stops - which is probably a good thing because it's not exactly a habit that he can (in good conscience) get used to.

This is what he tells himself quite fiercely when he finds himself tempted to stay over once again as he's slipping her shoes off and tucking her into bed because she's out like a light. He knows it's not a good idea and that he really should high tail it out of here, but he drags his feet and thinks up all sorts of excuses to stay.

Like...she's drunk (duh!) so what if she gets sick in the middle of the night? _Well then _j_ust move the wastebasket by the bed._ His conscience scolds him.

What if she wakes up with a headache? _There's aspirin in her medicine cabinet. Just move it to the bedside table and get her a glass of water._

She's really (really) out like a light so leaving means the deadbolt on her door can't be engaged - what if she gets robbed and she's so out of it she doesn't even wake up? _Criminals know she's related to half of HPD, so that's just like signing their own arrest/death warrants. Really!_

He sighs loudly because having a conscience just sucks.

* * *

_She comes to just as he pulls up in front of Kelly's house. __She thanks him and is about to get out of the car when she impulsively turns back and gives him a kiss. But what's meant to just be a peck suddenly morphs into something else because the minute their lips touch she feels electricity shoot up her spine and she gasps and it's all the invitation he needs because his tongue is suddenly in her mouth and she is letting him._

_She knows they're giving her friend's neighbors a show and so when breathing becomes imperative, she knows she needs to get herself out of the car. But when she turns to reach out for the car door handle her hands encounter empty space._

_Hmm…that's strange…that never happened in her dream before. So she turns the other way because maybe her orientation's all shot but instead of cold metal, her hand lands on something warm…_

_Something solid…_

_Something that feels like…_

_Skin ?!_

_What the…_

* * *

All of a sudden she's quite awake and all her breath leaves her.

Because not only does her brown eyes meet sleepy hazel eyes...

She finds that her hand is also touching warm, (quite) solid, human skin.

"_Fuck!" _she thinks to herself.

_Did she just kiss her boss awake?_

* * *

**AN2**: Okay, I know this update is like way too late so I'm terribly sorry that it's taken me a whole month (and some change) to post this chapter. RL is really giving me grief so apologies all around. Not only did I not have much time to write, there were actually too many scenarios for this fic running in my brain that I couldn't quite decide which one to go with…I know I said this story would only run a couple of chapters and yet this is already the 14th installment and they're still not quite there yet so maybe there's not much interest in the story left LOL. (the fact that I've been so erratic in my updating of late probably doesn't help). Anyhoo, I will endeavor to speed things along and try to post updates more regularly.

Feedback is always appreciated so to those who regularly comment, I thank you from the bottom of my heart (even if I don't personally respond). I'll answer comments/questions (if there are some) in the next chapter's AN. *For now, hugs all around*


	15. Chapter 14: The lie

**_Disclaimer : All recognizable characters (and fairytales) I do not own. Unbeta'ed so all mistakes are mine._**

* * *

_Despite Pinocchio's efforts to be good, he is after all still a boy (even if he wasn't a real one yet) and so, like most boys who are prone to mischief, he found himself telling a lie. Lo and behold, his nose started to grow. Alarmed, he asked aloud what was happening to his nose. It was then that the Blue Fairy appeared to warn him that every time he lied, his nose will grow. And just before she disappeared, she told him, "Remember that only if you learn to be brave, honest and good, will you become a real boy."_

Okay, so maybe he's not exactly a boy made out of wood (despite Danny's claims to the contrary). And the last time he checked, his name didn't even start with a P.

Of course, this isn't really a fairytale.

Even if like the fairytale, he did tell a lie…

**Chapter 14. The lie (and the Princely quest to become a real boy)**

_...only, it wasn't exactly his nose that grew as a consequence..._

* * *

She's not quite sure how she ended up where she's at.

In bed…

With Steve…

Her hands on his chest…

Lips swollen and tingling from what she can only surmise as their kiss.

_OMG! Did they really kiss?!_

She wonders if there's a dignified way to get up and off the bed and run to the bathroom without saying anything at all, but she can't even make her hands obey her mind's edict to you know, stop touching his chest!

_WTF?_

And she's kicking herself mentally for that inopportune dream. Why, oh why, did she have to have that dream today of all days? It's not like this is his first sleepover… although come to think of it, she doesn't even remember inviting him last night…But then again, she'd drunk more than she should so who knows what she did (or didn't do)? Which reminds her to quickly take a peek to check if she's actually wearing clothes and she heaves a giant sigh of relief when she sees that she's still (thankfully) fully clothed.

But that's neither here nor there because the only thing she should really be thinking of is a good excuse for why she ended up kissing him. She could tell him the truth and say she'd been dreaming, but that would beg the question of why exactly did he even figure in her dream at all…not to mention that the exact nature of said 'dream' would actually open a whole new can of worms she's not quite ready to deal with.

Maybe she could pretend there hadn't been a kiss because technically, she'd been sleeping (somewhat) when it happened but she didn't think she had the gumption to actually pull it off, knowing full well she is blushing right this very moment. Of course, the fact that her heart is beating so loudly that she fears he can actually hear it might have something to do with her inability to think or even move. *sigh*

Maybe she can pretend to have a heart attack?

* * *

He knows he should really say something. She's probably wondering how they ended up like this. He tries to make his mouth work long enough to speak. But for the life of him, words escape him.

He berates himself for landing themselves in this predicament. If only he'd stuck to his earlier resolve to leave…

Could have, would have, should have…

* * *

_He's about to turn and leave when she suddenly groans and before he can stop himself, he's beside her bed like someone just lit his ass on fire. He stands for a moment unsure of what to do when she moves to kick the covers aside and her poor excuse of a red dress rode up her thighs. He's half expecting his own version of Jiminy Cricket to whack him in the head with his umbrella for staring (way) too long at her legs before he finds the wherewithal to bundle her under the covers again. _

_And he tells himself to leave at that very moment because to not do so would just plainly be asking for trouble, but darned if he doesn't find himself sitting on 'his' side of the bed and toeing off his shoes. And before his personal cricket can remind him about dangers of temptations, he's sliding under the covers with her. He tells himself he's (technically) not doing anything wrong. After all, it's not like he hasn't been there before. Besides, he's actually wearing more clothes than he usually does (conveniently ignoring the fact that the only reason he didn't actually strip down to his undershirt and boxers is because he's too afraid to do so because his self-control is at an all-time low as a result of the events of the day). _

_Of course, unlike the previous nights when he falls asleep almost as soon as his head hits the pillow, he finds himself unable to do so. He knows it's irrational but he's almost afraid to close his eyes for fear that he'd wake up and find that the rest of the day had been a dream…and that they, in fact, had been unable to save Chin. So he focuses instead on recalling that moment when her shot found its target and the remote control had flown out of Hesse's hand. _

_That she's that good of a shot doesn't really surprise him. But with her cousin's life on the line, he'd been a little concerned about her ability to do the job. But like a pro, she came through brilliantly. He probably should feel more remorse about his decision to break the law by pulling that $10 million dollar heist but he knows he would do it again if it meant saving the life of his teammates (even if they'd just basically wielded their own Sword of Damocles over their heads with that stunt)._

_He is brought out of his reverie when she suddenly rolls over towards him. And he'd like to say that he did try to move away..._

_Only…he didn't. _

_And he'd like to say that he didn't move even closer to her…_

_Only…he did. _

_And he'd like to say that he's not reminded of that long ago night when he'd first met her. _

_Only...he'd be lying._

_And he finds himself focusing on her lips…her parted lips and suddenly all he can think about is that long ago kiss._

* * *

The fact that it had been her who'd actually bridged that gap between their lips is a piss-poor excuse because the truth of the matter is that she'd only beaten him to it by a couple of seconds.

He's a cop and he should know better. After all, the Prince kissing Sleeping Beauty might be considered romantic as fairytales go, but back in the real world, people have been jailed for less.

And he's trying to figure out how to break the silence (without actually coming off as a pervert), when she (again) beats him to it.

"Did we just…" she trails off, uncertainty lacing her voice.

Of course he could always pretend that nothing happened…even if the kiss actually rocked his world (again!). Or that he'd like nothing more than to do it again (and again, and again). As in right this very moment when she's definitely awake and he can actually be sure that her kissing him back is something she really means to do (and not a byproduct of a dream).

And he's tempted. So very, very tempted…but she's trembling and judging by her erratic breathing, she's probably close to panicking.

So he does the one thing he swore to himself never to do to her.

He lies.

* * *

She's not entirely sure if she feels relieved or disappointed at his answer.

On the one hand, he's just given her an out. Something she knows she should be grateful for. After all, the reasons why kissing him was a bad idea are still there.

But she's honest enough with herself to admit that she's wishing he'd answered differently because maybe then she'd have the courage to actually do what she'd been longing to do ever since she'd seen him again. That is, to kiss him again in the here and now. And maybe then she can finally exorcise the memory of that long ago kiss.

But then she remembers Catherine. And she thinks maybe that's why he said what he said. He's letting her down gently and allowing her to save face. Which is good she supposes.

So she smiles and wills her pulse to slow down long enough to make her effort to not appear flustered credible.

* * *

There's a moment when her expression changes from relief to disappointment that he regrets the lie. And he wonders if maybe she too is tempted. But it's so fleeting that he knows he probably only imagined it. So he pretends like nothing has changed between them and he thinks maybe he's succeeded in appearing unaffected not only by her proximity but also the kiss that he's now pretending hadn't really happened.

Of course, when she chooses to disentangle herself from him and her thigh accidentally brushes against his nether regions and she freezes, he knows he's been made.

* * *

She thinks maybe she's still a little buzzed. That's the only explanation she can think of for saying what she ends up saying to him when she realizes he isn't as immune to her charms as she had previously thought.

"Hmm, that's strange. I thought it was supposed to be the nose that grows when one lies?" She teases him.

His comical reaction should have been enough to bring her to her senses. Should, being the operative word. Unfortunately, he recovers quite quickly and turns the tables on her before she can even blink.

"Well what can you expect from a boy made out of _**wood**_?" he teases back.

"So what will it take to make you a real boy?" The words are out before she can censor them.

* * *

He knows he's playing with fire. But her question just conjures up all sorts of thoughts he knows he shouldn't even be thinking about given how volatile the situation between them has become. And he tries not to react to her words but it's so, so hard not to…

And so he tries to be a good boy. He really does…

But...

"Knock on wood?" he answers as he moves to pull her closer to him.

Here's the thing. The last time he checked, his name wasn't Pinocchio…

And he's already a real boy (man)...

So what if he moves (a little) to the dark side? This isn't a fairytale anyway...

Or, is it?

* * *

**AN: **Okay, so this isn't exactly episode-centric. But the fairytale for the next epi doesn't exactly fit with where I left off in the previous chapter so I made a little detour (since most of you would probably murder me if I didn't follow through with last chapter's cliffie – although, with the way I ended this, you might still want to – murder me that is, LOL). The thing is, I'm not quite sure whether I should take this scene to its logical conclusion at this juncture or you know…deal with the Catherine issue first…(darned her!) so that's why this is another cliffie…hopefully, I'll be able to decide by next chapter.

_Guest 1_ - Yes they have =)

_TVFanatic97_ – Happy to oblige . Hope Steve's sleepover isn't too far a stretch

_Roxtonissexy_ – Glad you liked the ending of the last chapter, hope you like this new one too

_Lynnrxgal_ – Good to know you're still in to this story. Sorry for my erratic updating.

_MyOwen_ – You're welcome. Hope this makes your week too.

_KoVeLover_ – I'm happy that you're still loving this story and no, not stopping yet =)

_Shani8_ – I hope this chapter lives up to the expectation (probably not but one can hope yeah?)

_Lydia_ – Sorry for the cliffies. I know my irregular updates doesn't help but I hope you continue reading anyway

_Francis2_ – This chapter answers your question – they really did kiss… as for his control…this chapter answers that as well (somewhat)

_KT_ – Thanks for letting me know you love my story =)

SiCrazy– Glad you like this story. More UST here (so I hope you like this chapter as well)

To my silent readers/followers, thanks for reading. Hugs to all and until next update!


	16. Chapter 15: The mythical box

_****__Disclaimer : All recognizable characters and dialogues (as well as fairytales) I do not own. Particularly the bolded and italicized snippets of conversation, which are lifted directly from Season 1's Episode 13: "Ke Kinohi (The Beginning)"._

_****__ Unbeta'ed so all mistakes are mine._

* * *

_The (other) Princess stared the mysterious box in fascination. She knew she wasn't even supposed to go anywhere near it, let alone take a peek inside it. But so overcome was she with curiosity that she paid little heed to the Prince's warning and sought to open it. Alas, instead of riches or treasures, out flew all kinds of evil that people had never experienced before. The (other) Princess quickly slammed the lid closed, but it was too late…_

Okay so maybe likening their father's Champ toolbox to Pandora's box is a bit much. But then again, that's a myth and not a fairytale.

Of course, this isn't exactly a fairytale either.

Even if like the story, all sorts of trouble are unleashed on the hapless Prince's sister, the (other) Princess, for opening that (tool) box…

**Chapter 15: The mythical box.**

He wakes up to find a group of masked men invading his home.

He blames the difficulty he's had in falling asleep the night before (obsessing over his obsession for his teammate, no less) for what he can only surmise as a stupendous lapse in judgment in turning his back on two of the three intruders – considering that he hasn't taken them down with bullets - and consequently, being tased to unconsciousness.

Of course he can't really say that out loud when Danny wonders how he was taken down, considering that he's a Navy SEAL. Good thing there were actually three of them or else he'd probably never hear the end of it.

* * *

She's both grateful for and annoyed at Danny's (and Chin's) presence because she's forced to be all professional and only ask 'official' questions at Steve instead of the one that's really nagging at her.

_Are you okay?_

She tells herself it's a perfectly legitimate question to ask of anyone really who's gone through something similar except for the fact that there's a small (large) part inside that's (maybe) blaming herself a little (a lot) for him being hurt just cause she didn't make him stay over at her place again last night.

And yes, she knows it's irrational because sleeping with one's boss is not exactly what one might call an 'approved' method of protection, even if all they've actually really done is sleep…more or less…okay less…or is it more?

Still, she's able to maintain her calm all throughout their discussion about the missing toolbox up until she realizes (almost the same time he does) that the lack of forced entry probably means that they got the key to the house from the only other person who has a copy.

Mary Ann.

* * *

He's kicking himself mentally for not anticipating Mary's actions. (But then again, he's the f*ck up whose relationship issues prevents him from even maintaining close ties with his only sibling despite the fact that she lives practically next door to him). If he had known that she'd been actively investigating the circumstances behind their mother's death, he would have…

And he draws a blank because what would he have done if he'd known?

He's never been gladder when they're finally able to locate Mary looking none the worse for wear. Well, except for that cut on her forehead and trauma from the kidnapping, that is. And he starts off berating her for snooping into their Mom's death when they're finally able to talk in his office but then he's too relieved that she's safe to really be convincing. Besides, her foresight in taking pictures of the contents of their father's toolbox goes a long way towards calming him down.

* * *

She'd taken it upon herself to canvass the area on foot because she can't **not **do anything to help find Mary. Not only because she's come to regard the other girl like a sister (in the same way that she had taken to McG like a father) but also because Steve's lost enough of his family to violence without taking his sister as well. And so when she finally hears from Chin that Mary's been found, she nearly gets into a wreck trying to get back to HQ as quickly as possible.

When she finally arrives, she sees the two siblings are talking in Steve's office, which is probably a good thing because it gives her time to compose herself. It's something she knows she really needs to do if she wants to avoid a third-degree from Chin.

When they finally come out and they're going over the photos downloaded off of Mary's cellphone, she has to forcibly make herself concentrate on the case instead of the fact that he's standing a little too close to her and gets a whiff of his unique scent. Because focusing on that maddening scent just reminds her of what had happened the other night when they were even closer…

_Frack!_

"I think you have a future in the family business." She says the first thing that comes to mind when she's brought back to the present by Steve's remark about his sister's thoroughness. She thinks McG would have been proud but doesn't say this out loud because she still hasn't gotten around to telling him that she actually knew their dad from before. And now is so not the time to do so.

She keeps her left hand in her pocket because she's finding it increasingly hard not to touch him and she hopes that he's maybe having the same issue too seeing as he's keeping his arms crossed over his chest and his hands stuck under his pits.

_Yeah right, Kono! Dream on._

* * *

He wants to move away because standing so close to her is distracting but Mary's on the other side and so there's nowhere to move without being too obvious about it. So he does his best to focus on the case and thinks he succeeds, if Mary's serious expression is an indication. Mostly he tries to avoid looking at Kono because whenever he does he remembers what they (he) did with (to) her on her bed the night before and yeah, it's so not the time to be thinking these thoughts about her considering that his sister's kidnappers are still at large.

He hears rather than sees how proud she is of Mary when she tells her _**"Nice work there by the way,"**_ for knocking out one of her kidnappers' tooth and he thinks he should be given a medal for his se;f control because the smile his sister gives when she says thanks just makes him want to kiss his rookie all over again like he did last…

He forcibly stops is mental trip down that particular memory lane because it's all sorts of f*cked up considering the situation at hand. And then there's Catherine and a host of other things he knows he really should make himself remember. It's a relief when there's an actual lead they could follow up because he so badly needs the distraction from his chaotic thoughts.

* * *

By the time they're back at HQ and she's discussing an update on the case and Hiro Noshimuri's name comes up as a potential suspect, she is patting herself mentally on the back for her success in hiding the fact that she's been fantasizing about her boss on and off throughout the day.

Of course it's when Danny, being Danny, asks about how the stick figures they saw from one of the files in the stolen toolbox could refer to Noshimuri and she and Steve take turns explaining about the use of frequency analysis on cipher texts that she herself nearly cracks like the code.

"**What? Are you guys dating now?" **

Because she almost, almost answers him with a "No, just sleeping together."

Of course she tells herself she only (very briefly) considers this to see how their blonde teammate would react but (luckily) doesn't get a chance to because Steve goes on about his father's investigation into his mother's death.

She tries not to worry too much when he storms out to get to Noshimuri with Danny in tow but she can't help but feel relieved when they both come back ok. And she doesn't really worry again until she sees the Governor walking briskly towards Steve's office looking a tad annoyed and she wonders if maybe the case might be the proverbial stick that finally breaks the H50's back.

So when they go to the club that Noshimuri owns, she's perhaps a little bit too enthusiastic in performing her duties as a cop because she's so happy that they still have jobs after all.

"_**Kono." **_

"_**Yeah?"**_ She answers his call.

"_**I need this place strip searched…."**_ He starts and she kinda, sorta drifted off a little and doesn't really catch what comes after that because the words 'strip' and 'search' coupled with his focused intensity just makes her think of the R rated thoughts that's been plaguing her ever since they'd…

_Double frack! _

She does manage a _**"Yeah you got it."**_ Before turning away quickly so she could hide her flushed face_. _

_What was she supposed to do again? Evidence…Noshimuri…right._

* * *

He's uncharacteristically baring his soul (somewhat) and explaining how his mother's death has caused him to become the person he is and why he can't just let the case go when he gets a call from his current (inappropriate) obsession.

"_**Kono tell me you got something."**_

"_**You won't believe this I found your Dad's toolbox in the dumpster out back, The only thing is it's empty. All the evidence that's inside it is gone."**_

He tries not to let his disappointment at the news get him down_**. "Ok listen to me. Print it inside and out. This may be the piece of evidence that connects Hiro to the break in and Mary's abduction."**_ He hopes they get him for that at least.

"_**Yeah you got it."**_ She answers.

He's grateful for her professionalism, particularly with this case, because despite his best efforts not to, he does wonder if she's really as unaffected by what had happened between them the other night (as her behavior throughout the day seems to indicate). It's probably a good thing that the case is closer to home than usual (and that Danny's almost always with him) because otherwise, he would have probably dragged her into a closet somewhere so he could have it out with her.

* * *

When the case is done and he's back home, he's feeling a restlessness he can't really define. He thinks it's probably because the outcome of the case isn't as cathartic as it should have been even if they did manage to get Noshimuri, because he hadn't been able to prove that he was responsible for their mother's death.

Or maybe it's just that he's feeling melancholy over his last conversation with his sister when he saw her off at the airport earlier.

**"_I'm having a déjà vu moment. It's just like before when Dad brought us here but put us on different planes to the mainland. I hadn't talked to you in 10 yrs and I never saw Dad again…"_**

**"_Hey. We're gonna see each other again. We will."_**

**"_Promise?"_**

**"_Yes I promise."_**

Maybe it's the guilt he feels for making Mary sad by sending her away? After all, didn't he just vow to himself earlier in the day that he'll try to do better with his relationship with her?

But when he's lying in bed and is tossing around unable to sleep, he finally realizes (admits to himself) that the restlessness is caused by someone else's absence.

So he reaches out for his phone and dials.

* * *

She's only just managed to fall asleep on her sofa, having moved to the living room after tossing and turning for the longest time in her bed, when she hears a banging on her front door. She looks at the clock blurrily and sees that it's nearly 3AM.

She starts to wonder who it could be before it occurs to her that she's only ever had one visitor come at this hour in the last couple of weeks.

Still she reaches out for her gun (just in case) because even if the nightly visits smack too close to "Let down your hair so I could climb up" trysts with the neighboring Prince (if you know, she actually lived in a tower and had long golden tresses, that is, or if what they've actually been doing can even be construed as trysts) there's still a chance that it couldn't be him.

After all, didn't she just bear witness to the consequences of Mary's Pandora-esque curiosity today? Never mind that it was actually a jar and not a box in the myth.

But then again like that mythical jar wasn't really as empty as McG's toolbox had been…she finds that as she slowly opens the door that she too has hope after all…

Even if she doesn't really believe in fairytales.

And this isn't a fairytale.

* * *

**AN:** Okay so I promised a longer chapter and this isn't really that much longer. Also, you're probably wondering (and getting a tad/lot frustrated) about what happened when I left off the previous chapter…but I swear this will be answered in the next chapter – just cause that and the scene following this one deserve their own fairytale (Hint: Title for that one refers to the most common of all fairytale tropes). It's already partially written and takes off immediately after this).

Robinh – Glad you though that last chapter was funny.

Lynnrxgal- Yeah fairytale interuptis =) This one, not so much…

Guest – Here's what happens next…

TvFanatic97 – I promise that trip to memory lane comes next…

Bushy4 – Thank you for your kind words. I really appreciate them *hugs*

SiCrazy – Okay so this one goes back to the episode-centric format just cause I think it's one of the most important episodes in season 1 (and also cause I had already touched upon this arc in 'The quest'.

Francis2 – Fate isn't sealed till the next one I'm afraid

Lydia – Sorry for the cliffie in the last chapter and again in this one – see above for explanation. – I hope you still continue reading anyway. I promise the next one will be better.

Shani8 – Glad you liked the Pinocchio reference =)

KimmieFern – Whew! I'm glad you find me a valuable asset because I certainly wouldn't want to be murdered. But I suppose after this chapter, I'm not out of the woods just yet. LOL.

Sidalee – Yeah, the woodie reference was something I really wanted to use LOL.

To the rest of you reading this, I hope you still continue to do so even if it seems like I've been dragging it longer than I should. Thanks for reading anyway and let me know what you think.

.


	17. Chapter 16: The apple and the kiss

_**Disclaimer : All recognizable characters (as well as fairytales) I do not own. **_

_**Unbeta'ed so do forgive typos and grammatical errors when you find them. **_

* * *

_Disguised as an old woman, the Queen then sought Snow White so she can offer her the poisoned apple. And as soon as Snow White had taken a bite, she fell down dead for the dwarves to find. Bereft and unable to put her into the ground, the dwarves then laid her on a coffin made of glass and left it in the forest so they could continue to look upon her beauty ever more. __There she lay until it happened one day that a Prince came their way and chanced upon her beauty, so pale and still in her glass coffin. So overcome was he with emotions that the Prince could not help but lift the lid and then leaned down to gently kiss her._

_ Lo and behold, she then opened her eyes and sat up with a smile._

Okay, is she the only one who finds this a tad disturbing? Because, hello! He had basically just kissed a corpse! And no, just because it was more like a magically induced coma rather than actual death doesn't make it okay, does it? After all he, like the dwarves, believed she'd been dead as a doornail when he did what he did. And necrophilia? So not up there in her list of what qualifies as Princely qualities.

Not that she had skin as white as snow anyway. And no, neither does she have hair as black as ebony because too much sand, salt and sun kind of takes care of that.

But then again, she doesn't really believe in fairytales, does she?

Even if like the fairytale she really does get saved (by the Prince) from an apple...

**Chapter 16: The apple (and the kiss).**

"You do know it's three in the morning already, right?" She asks when she finds him, once again, at her doorstep.

"Is it?" He answers with a question of his own with just the right mix of innocence and mischief.

There's a part of her that wants to just let him in without question because she's gotten used to having him in her bed. But after spending most of the day fantasizing about him, she's not quite sure she still has it in her to keep their banter to a level that can conveniently be swept under the rug the next day. So she blocks his entry and asks, "Is there anything you need, Boss?"

She thinks maybe she's succeeded in making him rethink his intentions with her deliberate non-use of his name when he just stares at her without speaking for the longest time. But then he smiles at her again (and drats if her heart didn't just skip a beat at the sight) and raises a hand to show a bag that she didn't even notice he'd been carrying.

"I bought too much and figured you might want some…"

She frowns in confusion because it's the last thing she expects him to say. "What?"

"Do you mind? They're kind of heavy." He goes on as though it's perfectly normal to show up at a subordinate's house at 3AM bearing gifts of lumpy whatevers in a grocery bag.

But before she can say otherwise, he's already made his way inside her house and is walking towards her kitchen. She can only sigh before she closes the door and puts the gun she's been holding, back in the drawer next to her sofa.

"Apples?" She says dumbly when she finally sees what he brought.

He grins at her. "You know how it goes…an apple a day…"

"Seriously?" She asks. _Is he for real?_

"What? I know you love them."

That may be true but it still doesn't explain why he figured to bring her apples at 3AM! Of course her stomach chooses that moment to make its presence felt and she remembers she hadn't really eaten anything since lunch time.

He has the gall to laugh. "Aren't you glad I came when I did?"

"Who says I want to eat apples anyway?" She grumbles, just because he looks so darned pleased with himself.

"It's not like you have any choice." He smiles as he leans on her kitchen counter and crosses his arms across his chest. Which of course just displays his biceps to perfection and yeah...time for a distraction...

"What? I have food." She reasons out, even though they both know she really doesn't. And it should probably freak her out that he knows this because he's spent too much time in her house in the last couple of weeks.

He just laughs again and gets an apple from the fruit bowl (that she didn't even know she had, go figure) and gives it a rinse before offering it to her.

"Here."

She would have refused, just so she can wipe the smirk off his face, but her stomach rumbles again so she has no choice but to take it from him. "I'm not going to fall dead from eating this, am I?"

He feigns affront at her question. "I'm hurt." But then cackles like a witch when she finally takes a bite.

She is so surprised that she chokes. She literally chokes!

She vaguely registers his look of horror and his imprecation of "Oh shit!" before she finds his arms circling her from behind and yeah, she's maybe dying from a bite of apple that went the wrong way but darned if the feel of his arms around her doesn't give her the shivers. And then he's pushing in and up and out comes the piece of fruit that she inelegantly choked on.

She thinks maybe she'd find it funny if she didn't feel so mortified. _Where the heck's a sinkhole when you needed one?_

"Are you okay?" He asks in concern as he lets go from behind and moves to face her.

"Yes…" she manages to answer while fighting not to blush because she's beyond embarrassed. She wants to hide but then she sees how sorry he looks for making her choke in the first place and she finds herself giggling instead.

His look of remorse quickly turns into humor when he sees her laughing and he too joins her in merriment.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind when I came to bring some for you." He sighs dramatically.

"Really?" She teases him as she gives up on eating and throws the remaining fruit into the bin. "So what exactly did you have in mind when you came here?" She asks in humor, expecting him to answer in jest.

Of course his sudden silence makes her realize just how 'loaded' her question was. "Uhm…" She clears her throat, not quite sure she wants an honest answer to that one.

* * *

And there it is…the million-dollar question of the night.

_Why exactly did he come here?_

He could say he just really wanted to bring her the apples. Because that's really believable! Not!

He could say he just wanted to make sure she was okay given what had happened to Mary Ann that day…because despite his seeming reluctance to maintain close ties with his sister, he knows that she doesn't really share that same aversion and that they in fact have a standing girls' night out every Tuesday. And it would be (mostly) true too.

He could tell her a version of the truth and say that he just plain missed having her next to him as he sleeps…if you know, he didn't want to scare the sh*t out of her because that doesn't really sound as creepy as f*ck seeing as they're not even 'seeing' each other.

Or…

Or, he could man up and tell her that he found himself driving all this way, carting a bag of fruits as a sorry excuse, because ever since that kiss (that he pretended didn't really happen) the other day, all he could think about was doing it again because while it had been long enough to tease that memory of their previous kiss from years before back into the forefront of his mind (not that it had ever really been that far in the back burner anyway) it wasn't nearly long enough for him to feel even the slightest bit of satisfaction from it.

And that if he's (really) being honest, it's not really that she's Chin's cousin or that she's his rookie that prevented him from actually taking their playful banter the other night to the next level...

* * *

_"So what will it take to make you a real boy?"_

_He knew she's only teasing him to ease the embarrassment he knows she must be feeling after basically encountering definitive proof that he's been lying his ass off. But despite his intention to be a good boy (man), he finds himself answering huskily, "Knock on wood?" before pulling her closer to him. _

_She gasps at his movement but doesn't pull away. _

_He tells himself he's only giving as good as he got, just like the other times when they'd tease each other with fairytale references (seriously, if Danny ever found out he even knew of, let alone quotes from them, he'd probably make him give up his man card). But then again, he can always blame it on Mary Ann for calling him a frog and getting him started in the first place. Not that he'd ever tell Danny anyway because him knowing is just a hop, skip and a jump away from having Chin find out and yeah…that prospect should probably scare him more than it does at the moment. _

_Because at the moment, Chin going all ninja on him is the furthest thing from his mind…_

_Because all he can really focus on is her…_

_Her heat…_

_Her scent…_

_Her lips…_

_So he moves even closer._

_She moistens her lips with her tongue and he nearly groans aloud because the sight causes all sorts of celebration down south..._

_Only a hair's breadth separates them…_

_And he's basically given a mental FU to all the reasons why this is a bad idea and is leaning in ever closer when..._

_**His** f*cking phone rings!_

_And just like that the spell is broken because she scrambles away from him so suddenly that she nearly falls out of the bed in her haste to get away. It's only his quick reflexes that prevent her from hitting her head on the floor and yeah, he's so not feeling good right now because having someone choose injury over having you near just screams sexy to him._

_He's not sure who's more embarrassed but he doesn't really have time to figure out because his phone is still ringing and so he has to answer it before they both turn deaf from its progressive loudness (because like a dumbass, he'd set it that way!)_

_He doesn't even bother checking who it is but just growls out a "McGarrett!" in annoyance._

_It figures that it's Catherine because of course, the universe is keen on reminding him that he's being a dick for even thinking about starting something with Kono when he's still seeing someone else. _

_And yes, it's probably a good thing that Kono took advantage of his distraction to hide out in her bathroom because talking to Catherine with __**her**__ in the room after they very nearly crossed that line is just plain tacky and definitely in the 'being such an asshole' territory. So he leaves like the coward/jerk he is and thanks his lucky stars that they don't have work that day so they can maybe/hopefully avoid each other._

* * *

But that was then, and this is now. And right now, she's looking at him and waiting for his answer.

So he opens his mouth and finds it being clamped shut by her hand.

* * *

_Sh*t! _

She's looking at her own hand as it covers his mouth and she's frantically wondering what the hell she's doing. His eyes are wide with shock at her move and she tells herself she should really let him go. But she can't seem to make her limbs obey. Seriously, she's not ready to hear whatever he's going to say.

Because even though she's been playing it cool and acting as though his frequent sleepovers are nothing out of the ordinary and that she only sees him like a pillow or maybe an extra warm and comfy blanket while in bed, she in fact knows that what they've been doing is not only inappropriate because he's her boss but also because he's her boss who happens to be in a relationship with someone else. And even if all they've really been doing is sleeping 'sleeping' together…the fact that they've also been flirting (and yes, _she does know _it's flirting even if they're mostly references to fairytales) kind of makes it not quite so innocent (at least not on her part anyway).

Not to mention that they had in fact already shared spit (she thinks maybe thinking of it in such terms might make the memory less than it is) even if it had been years ago and that he doesn't even remember it.

So she's maybe hoping that he'll just take the hint and you know, let her keep her illusions because:

1. She's not the kind of girl who poaches on someone else's property (even if said property is hot and sexy and an incredible kisser - if memory serves – to boot);

2. She's so not ready to leave H50 (because isn't it always the girl who gets kicked off a team when relationship conflicts arise?). Not that they'd even end up in one (a relationship that is) anyway because that's just her being hopeful (or probably more like presumptuous); and

3. She's not looking forward to having to explain to Chin why his cousin has to suddenly look for another job if (when?) the second scenario does happ…

Her train of thought gets derailed when she feels a jolt of electricity against her hand.

Did he just…

_Frack!_

* * *

The speed with which she takes her hand off his mouth and steps away from him would have been comical if she didn't look so spooked.

It's not quite the reaction he was hoping for when he did what he did but beggars can't be choosers he supposes.

"Did you just…" She stutters and looks at him as though not quite sure what had happened.

"Lick your hand?" He asks. "Yes, I did."

"Wh…"

He was thinking of teasing her further because she's obviously in denial (about what makes a grown man like him drive all this way to see her at 3 f*cking AM for far more nights than what can conveniently be labeled as accidental or coincidental) and judging by her 'hand-on-his-mouth' move, would like to stay that way. And he would have continued with that light hearted route if he didn't see how she's trying to mask her reaction to the feel of his tongue on her skin.

And just like that he decides to stop pretending.

Because the truth is, he's way past the point of prolonging his agony as it were.

And he is in agony…

And has been for far longer than he cares to admit if he counts the intervening years since her kiss did such a number on him he's never really been able to recover (despite his best efforts to do so and especially after realizing that she didn't even fracking remember it).

The kiss with which he's measured all other kisses that came after and has left them all wanting (Catherine's included).

The kiss, of which he's been forcefully reminded the other morning…

The kiss which led him to do what he did before he came here…

* * *

"_Steve?" _

"_I'm sorry." He doesn't even bother with a hello. _

"_Sorry? For wha…" She starts to ask before trailing off, as though realizing what he's sorry for._

_He knows he's pulling such a dick wad move in doing this without even waiting until they're face to face. But there really is no point in making her take a furlough to meet him just so he can break up with her. So he says it again, "I'm sorry." _

_The silence on the other end takes so long he wonders if maybe she hung up on him. He's about to ask if she's still there when she finally answers. "It's about her isn't it?" _

_The question surprises him. "Her?" He asks, not quite sure what she means._

"_Her…the one you've never really been able to forget…" She continues._

"_You know?" He thinks maybe he should have lied about there being a 'her' but he's too surprised to deflect._

_She gives a humorless laugh. "I'd hoped she wasn't real…but I guess she is, huh?"_

_He feels like crap. "I'm sorry." He tells her again because what else is there to say?_

"_Crap Steve! I knew this day would come eventually…just not now…" _

_He doesn't know how to answer that._

"_Well I won't say it's okay because you deserve to feel a little guilty for dumping me over the phone." Her words belie the way her voice comes at him without inflection._

"_Catherine…"_

"_No…" She cuts him off. "Just … We always promised each other we wouldn't drag the goodbyes when it finally happens."_

_They did…years ago when they started because it had been casual. It's still casual…for him anyway. "No hard feelings?" he asks, knowing he's being even more of an asshole than he already is. _

_This time she laughs sincerely. "You're lucky I hadn't fallen in love with you."_

"_Yet." He can't help but add with a smile._

"_Asshole!" She says it affectionately. At least, he thinks it sounds that way. He hopes so anyway._

"_Aloha." He finally says, because that's how they agreed to part._

"_Aloha, Steve." She says back softly before he hears the tone that signals the end of their affair._

* * *

"Kono." He says her name as he moves to bridge the gap between them.

She takes a step backward with a panicked look.

"You wanted to know what I'm doing here?" He asks, trying not to let her obvious reluctance to hear what he has to say bother him as he moves even closer.

"I did?" She squeaks because her back has just hit the wall and there's no room to escape.

"Yeah…you kind of did…" he whispers as he boxes her in.

He's half expecting her to push him away and he's bracing himself for a rejection. But then she licks her lips and looks up at him and asks, "So why did you come?"

He answers her the only way he can.

With a kiss.

...

And yes, he still doesn't really believe in fairytales…

But this…

...

Well…

…this comes pretty close to one.

* * *

**AN: **Aack! Sorry for another cliffie! But it's nearly 5AM and my muses are tired (seriously – work and that time of the month and all) but I really wanted to post something already because it's been a while since my last update. Anyway, I hope the length of this one eases your disappointment some. Og and do let me know what you think. =)

TVFanatic97 – I'm so glad you're still enjoying this story even if there's a lot of cliffies. Here's one more for you but I hope you'll still continue to look forward to the next one.

Shani8 – Yeah I kind of cheated with the Pandora's box since it's not really a fairytale but it fit the episode nicely so I'd hoped it was still okay. Glad I helped make your Friday – here's hoping I make your Friday again.

SiCrazy – So this one is not episode-centric for obvious reasons. I wish the next season might actually give us more to work on =) Of course, I'm hoping my version of the Steve-Cath talk does happen in the show (fingers crossed that is)

Bushy4 – Thanks – I really wanted to put those lines in because it ties up neatly with my own story arc =)

Robinh – Glad you liked my take on that episode – no Mary Ann in this one but she is mentioned in passing so I hope it's still okay

Detective-XO – Thanks for leaving feedback

Tiana-P – I'm glad you're all caught up and you took time to leave me feedback. I very much appreciate it.

Roxtonisssexy – Thanks. Here's a new one and I hope it doesn't disappoint.

Francis2 – Yes he is…and well, here's another visit from him =)

Sidalee – This isn't episode centric because I wanted to go into what happened following his "Knock on wood?" comment in 'The lie' and also what comes after the previous one and I couldn't do that if I went the usual route with an episode. Still, I hope this one turned out okay. I really wanted to use the_** frack**_ reference as an homage to BSG (and Grace P's Cylon character). =)

And to others who are (still) reading this despite my erratic updating, thank you. Don't be strangers y'all and do let me know what you think by hitting that review button down below. Till next time.


	18. Chapter 17: The head in the box

_**Disclaimer : All recognizable characters (as well as fairytales) I do not own. Dialogoues that are bolded are lifted directly from Episode 14 of Season 1: He Kane Hewa-ole.**_

_**Unbeta'ed so do forgive typos and grammatical errors when you find them.**_

* * *

_And the evil queen called the Prince as she opened the lid of a chest full of apples and asked him to take one for himself. But as the Prince was leaning over, the queen quickly slammed down the lid and off his head flew, falling among the red apples._

Okay so maybe the offer of apples went the other way around…and yes, perhaps there's a moment in the aftermath of that kiss when she (figuratively speaking) wanted to bite his head off for leaving her in a lurch (she'll get back to that in a bit)…but she's not quite so blood thirsty (or evil).

But then again, this isn't really a fairytale (which is probably a good thing in this case)…

Even if like the fairytale (more like a horror tale if you ask her), a head does get chopped off…

**Chapter 17. The head in the box (aka The Juniper Tree) **

She and Chin are taking a drive and her cousin is pondering about the days gone before when every cop knows his neighborhood. She tries to pay attention but she's off in her own head space trying mightily not to think about the night/morning before when their Team Leader paid her a visit and there's apples and…

* * *

_"So why did you come?" She asks as she licks her lips, not quite sure what answer she's expecting._

_And then she finds that she doesn't really care that he doesn't really answer because then he moves to kiss her._

_And yep…she realizes that if anything, her memory of their kiss from years ago didn't even begin to do him justice! Because this…_

_OMG!_

_It's a good thing his hands are now around her waist because she thinks his hold is the only thing that's actually keeping her from melting into a puddle of goo on the floor._

_Because there's no hesitation in the kiss. _

_No soft pressing of lips upon lips. _

_No tentative stroking of tongue to seek entrance._

_Instead, his mouth just literally takes hers hostage. And his tongue is like a sword that plunges and plunders. And the kiss is wet and carnal and he tastes so good and his body feels even better pressed against hers that she doesn't even register the cold and hard wall against her back._

_She winds her arms over his shoulders and around his nape and her hands find their way onto the back of his head and the kiss deepens even more._

_And she thinks maybe…_

_Maybe she'll come to her senses when you know…it's time to breathe…_

_But when their lips does part, it's only to take the minimum amount of time to take in air before they're back at each other's mouths like crack to an addict. _

_And then he's biting her lower lip and she's trembling and…_

* * *

Damn it! There she goes thinking about it again. _Frack!_

She gets back on track and refocuses her attention on Chin and asks whether he ever wishes he'd chosen a different line of work - because now she's rethinking about hers following last night/this (early) morning's events when Steve…

* * *

…_is bodily lifting her so she can wrap her legs around his hips and the contact just about short circuits what's left of her brain._

_She stifles a moan when his lips move towards her neck and she feels his tongue gliding across her skin..._

_And then his hips are pressing harder at the junction where she's all hot and moist and the rest of him is pressing her against the wall._

_And then his hand is sliding on her thigh and making their way upwards..._

_And then his fingers are at the edge of her sleep shorts..._

_Tracing the edge from the side..._

_Moving inwards..._

_And upwards until..._

* * *

_Frack! Frack! Frack!_

She laughs (nervously) with Chin hoping he doesn't notice her lack of attention (and elevated heartbeat). She's so grateful when the call comes through about a police chase that she thinks she might actually kiss the dispatch (if you know, she could at the moment).

And yes, she'd probably feel more insulted when Chin asks her if she's passed the HPD test for pursuit driving if not for the fact that she knows that she IS driving a little bit more recklessly than usual just 'cause she's so damned happy for the distraction.

But when the chase ends up horribly and she sees the car they were chasing flip over three times, she's feeling more horrified than happy. More so when the cardboard box that flew out from the car while it was flipping over, turned out to contain something she isn't expecting. And it's all she could do not to hurl because yeah…a chopped off head? So not the kind of distraction she's hoping for.

* * *

By the time Danny and Steve arrive at the scene and she has more or less gotten herself together, she's back to being grateful for the 'distraction' because there's really nothing like a chopped off head to put one off the thought of kissing (no matter how knee-weakening and mind-scrambling she knows it to be).

She tells them that they just got the driver out of the car but it doesn't look good. And she's not even miffed (really!) when he runs over quickly and starts asking the man questions without so much as an indication that he's as f*cked up as she is about their kiss(es) from early this morning because the unfortunate driver dies.

* * *

Back at HQ, she tries not to let his seeming indifference bother her and focuses instead on finding out about the car. She tells herself he's a Navy SEAL so of course, he's good at compartmentalizing and that's probably what he's doing at the moment and that it doesn't mean that he's regretting what happened or anything like that. And so, when he sends her out to question the guy who rented the car, she's not even irritated (much) at him anymore.

Of course when it turns out that the guy she questioned (and let go having believed him to have just been a victim of auto theft) turns out to be more intricately involved in the whole case, she's back to being pissed off at their Team Leader (and his early morning escapade) and herself (for being so affected by it) for her mistake, especially since he didn't even seem to be as bothered by the whole thing as she obviously is.

* * *

It isn't until later that she finds out (from Chin) that Steve did actually ask about her and, if her cousin is to be believed, seemed to be worried about her too. And yeah, maybe that makes her feel a little (a lot) better.

So she's in good spirits when the case is finally over that she doesn't even mind that when she and Chin find their two team mates in the middle of watching an old TV series, he only looks at her briefly when she asks what the show is.

Well okay, so maybe she IS a little bit miffed (again) about this ability of his to be all stoic and sh*t, which is why she moves her chair closer to him and comments aloud, **"Ooh..that guy is pretty hot!**" while pointing to the screen.

She feels him stare at her as he asks, **"The dark one right?**"

Of course she means the dark one…but…she'll be damned if she admits this given the cocky way he asks and she thinks, hell yeah, two can play the game. So she takes care not to look at him and answers. "**No, the blonde.**"

She's gratified when both_** he**_ and Danny answer at the same time, **"That's me!"**

* * *

When the show is finally over, she debates with herself on whether to linger (so they can talk) or just leave (so they can pretend some more that the events of that morning didn't really happen).

The choice is taken out of her hand though when Chin asks if she's hitching a ride and Steve answers for her.

"I'll drive her." And at Chin's surprised reaction adds, "My house is closer and I'm heading out too anyway…"

Chin looks at her as if asking if it's okay and so she smiles and just nods because frankly her mouth is suddenly so dry she probably won't be able to make it work long enough to say anything.

Of course Danny, being Danny, pipes up. "Hey can you drop me off too?"

"You have your own car." Steve tells him matter-of-factly.

"Yes Steven I do. But I just brought it to the shop earlier for its quarterly servicing."

She tries not to let her dismay show because her house is closer to HQ than Danny's which means she's the first drop off and not the last.

_Bummer!_

But then again, given Steve's penchant from dopping by her house at 3AM anyway, maybe all hope for them talking (yep…talking…that's her story and she's sticking by it) is not lost…

* * *

She tells herself that she's not expecting him…

She's just too wired up from the case which is why when her clock reads 2:30AM she's still awake and sitting on her couch and staring at the TV on mute.

When 2:45AM finds her gnawing on an apple, she figures it's only cause she missed dinner again.

And when she's at her front door at 3AM, she convinces herself it's only cause she needs to check the locks again because you can never be too careful in this neighborhood.

It's when 3:30AM rolls around and there's still no knock on her door that she finally admits to herself that she was (is) in fact waiting for him.

And she thinks it's probably a good thing she doesn't really believe in fairytales.

Because it f*cking sucks when the frog you think has turned into a Prince the night before is still actually a slimy amphibian after all!

And yes, this is not a fairytale.

* * *

**AN:** Okay so…please don't hate me for how this chapter ended – I just need it to end like this in order to set up for the next chapter (and episode) – because much as I'd like to ignore S01E15 altogether because she who shall not be named shows herself again, I can't because like Mary Ann's kidnapping, it's an important episode (and relates to the arc I'm following in this story as well). I hope you'll still support this fic though – even if it's been running a lot longer than I had originally planned for.

Robinh – Again, I'm so appreciative of the fact that you always find time to comment on my fics. Unfortunately, Catherine's set to reappear next chapter – BUT not in the way you'd probably expect despite how the episode goes

Shani8 – Glad you liked my take on the apple & the kiss. Hopefully, you're not so bummed about how this one went

TvFanatic97 – Yeah C & S are done but she's coming back next chapter (sorry)

Detective-XO – Here's an update. Hope it's not too disappointing

Bushy4 – Sorry you'll have to wait for the continuation of that kiss (I mean, the continuation of the continuation flashed back above) in the next chapter

Guest – thanks for visiting. Hope you continue to do so

Lydia – We'll see how her new resolution goes in the next chapter – Hope you'll still continue reading despite how this chapter ended

Halle Alexis – For some reason, I loved the phrase 'horribly perfect' ! Thanks ( I think). LOL

quisinart4 - newbie reader! welcome! hope you enjoy your stay =)

To my other readers, thanks for dropping by and hope to hear from you soon.

PS. The update to 'Aftermath' will be posted within the next day or so. Till next time!


End file.
